The biggest belt of Malwa, located between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers, having 10 districts, would decide who rules Punjab for the next five years.
Since Independence, 10 out of 30 Chief Ministers of Punjab have been from the Malwa, including Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Harcharan Singh Brar, and also Parkash Singh Badal - who have served on the top post record five times.
Just like previous Assembly polls, all eyes would be on Malwa, this time too, especially, with the emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a force to reckon with in this region.
The AAP, which has secured four seats in Punjab, out of total 13, in its first appearance during 2014 lok Sabha elections, is getting massive response in Malwa. All the four parliamentary seats it won — Patiala, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur — were from this region only with the party gathering maximum votes in 2014 general polls.
The Congress, which seems to be on a strong footing initially, is looking unsecure seeing response to AAP’s rallies and shows. On the other hand, the ghosts of series of sacrilege cases, farmers’ suicides, coupled with the problems of drugs, unemployment, law and order is hitting the SAD-BJP combine hard.
Other than the performance of the three major players, the political observers are also keeping a close watch on Malwa for the fierce bouts it will witness. Here, lambi will feast its eyes on the ‘grandfather of all battles’ between the arch rivals — Capt Amarinder and Badal — with AAP’s ‘shoe thrower’ Jarnail Singh also throwing his hat in the poll arena.
A former soldier, the ‘Patiala Royal’ will face a “general” in another ballot battle in his bastion, Patiala urban. The SAD has fielded former chief of Army Staff General JJ Singh against Capt Amarinder making it a contest between a ‘Captain’ and a ‘General’ with AAP’s Dr Balbir Singh too making his presence felt, at least to some extent.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal is also feeling the chill wind in his home segment, Jalalabad. Both the AAP and the Congress have fielded their stalwart MPs — Bhagwant Mann and Ravneet Singh Bittu respectively — against the junior Badal.
Making things worse for him is the rebellion by its own local MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, whose son, Devinder Ghubaya, is contesting from Fazilka as Congress candidate.
That is not all! Malwa will also watch Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa challenging Bhattal’s might in his citadel — lehragaga, Manpreet Singh Ayali once again facing his 2014 lok Sabha polls competitor HS Phoolka in Dakha, Badal’s estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal testing himself ‘another time’ in political waters from Bathinda urban, this time as Congress nominee.
If that is not enough…Malwa will also see the people of the State giving their verdict on the destinies of the political heavyweights, including senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi, Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, former MP Vijay Inder Singla, among many sitting or former ministers or legislators.
Malwa region, with 69 of the total 117 seats, remains a key as ever to the high-octane Punjab polls - though the trend here in 2007 was for once not a reflection of the overall result.
During 2007 polls, people from this part of the State powerfully voted for the Congress, giving it 37 seats - not enough to bring them to power. The Congress got along so badly in the other two regions - Majha and Doaba, which resulted in its failure to form the Government. In 2012, Malwa gave a fractured mandate with Congress’ getting 31.
The Akali-BJP combine, on the other hand, improved upon from its previous performance and managed to bag 36 seats out of 69 in Malwa. What seemed to have gone in combine’s favour would be the silence of the Dera - which said to had helped the Congress to win Malwa in 2007 polls.
To ride on the coat-tails, the hCongress has strategically fielded kin of Dera Sacha Sauda sect head, Harminder Singh Jassi.
Though the ‘Dera’ is a key factor, it is, in fact, not the only deciding factor. The region has large Sikh agriculturist jaat vote bank too, that traditionally forms the base of the fixed Akali cadre. Though the Patiala royal family too has a base here, it’s the Badals who stake a stronger claim on the Malwa voter. But, the government’s non-performance in resolving agri crisis, with ever-increasing number of farmer suicides, problems in grain procurement, pesticide scam, among other things may cost the alliance partners.
Known as the State’s ‘cotton belt’, Malwa was also a major hit of pesticide scam. Besides, the region was the most affected by the series of sacrilege cases, with the first reported in Faridkot.
Notwithstanding, the region, during SAD-BJP combine’s two successive terms, has seen improvement in terms of infrastructure development, especially in Bathinda - a constituency represented by Badal bahu Harsimrat Kaur Badal.