A total of six “winners” of the State Assembly polls held in 2012, out of seven, contesting this lok Sabha election lost the race for the Parliamentary seats.
Only the former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Amritsar Capt Amarinder Singh emerged victorious among the legislators who entered the Parliamentary poll fray. In fact, many of them were not ‘number one’ even in their own constituencies.
The political parties, in an apparent attempt to improve their poll prospects in the Parliamentary elections, had decided to field the known and winning candidates of the Assembly polls.
In all, Congress had fielded maximum of four candidates, out of which only one could won. The electorate has given their referendum against the leaders they elected as their representatives just about two years ago.
Except Patiala MlA Capt Amarinder, leader of Opposition and Abohar MlA Sunil Kumar Jakhar was made to bite dust by sitting Akali MP Sher Singh Ghubaya in Ferozepur constituency, of which Abohar is a part.
Notably, Jakhar, also the Congress legislative party leader was the only candidate who got a lead from his own constituency but that too with a meagre 5,662 votes.
Party’s MlAs — Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Joginder Singh Panjgrain — too faced defeats in their own areas. Party’s MlA from Nabha, Dharamsot lost to Aam Aadmi Party’s Harinder Singh Khalsa by a margin of 54,144 votes.
Panjgrain, party’s MlA from Jaitu Assembly segment, finished third in Faridkot constituency with AAP’s Prof Sadhu Singh sweeping the polls defeating sitting Akali MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan. As Prof Sadhu Singh bagged 4.50 lakh votes, Gulshan finished second with 2.78 lakh votes, while Panjgrain remained on third spot with 2.51 lakh votes.
As Panjgrain tasted defeat with the biggest margin, he lost badly from his own constituency Jaitu with a margin of just 25,000 votes.
Out of Akalis’ two MlAs it has fielded, both failed to secure a win. Moreover, they were lagging in their own constituencies.
Akali MlA from Adampur constituency Pawan Kumar Tinu lost by over 70,000 votes in the hands of Congress’ Santokh Singh Chaudhary. He also finished second in his own constituency by a margin of 5,000 votes.
Dakha MlA Manpreet Singh Ayali, who had won with over 20,000 votes in 2012 Assembly elections, had finished third in ludhiana constituency. As Congress’ Ravneet Singh Bittu emerged winner, Ayali was lagging by a margin of 5782 votes to AAP’s HS Phoolka.
Notably, the Akalis, particularly Ayali, had all along been claiming that Dakha, Jagraon and Gill Assembly segments were their strong areas.
Another MlA, contesting from ludhiana seat was Akali rebel and independent legislator from Atam Nagar, Simarjit Singh Bains. Finishing fourth in lok Sabha polls with nearly 2.11 lakh votes, Bains secured maximum votes from his own constituency — 43,093, followed by 42,734 in ludhiana South, constituency of his MlA brother Balwinder Singh Bains.