Counting of votes for 13 LS seats begins in AAP-ruled Punjab

Chandigarh: Amidst a multi-corned contest in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-ruled Punjab, the counting of votes for the 13 parliamentary seats began on Tuesday morning amid tight security arrangements.

The high-stake election was held on June 1, sealing the electoral fate of 328 candidates. A 62.80 per cent voter turnout was recorded, with Bathinda registering the state's highest polling at 69.36 per cent.

The counting of votes began at 8 a.m. at 117 centres across 27 locations, Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C. told IANS.

According to Matrize Exit Polls, the ruling AAP may only get 3 to 6 seats in the state. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would get 0-3 seats, while the BJP may get 0-2 seats and the main opposition Congress would secure victory in 6-9 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Punjab, where the BJP and its former ally SAD went solo for the Lok Sabha poll for the first time, saw a four-way fight largely on 13 parliamentary seats.

On seats like Khadoor Sahib and Faridkot (reserved), the entry of jailed Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, head of ‘Waris Punjab De’ who is locked in an Assam jail under the National Security Act, and Sarabjit Singh, the son of one of the assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, respectively, both as Independents, has evoked a "radical" wave.

Also in the fray is sitting MP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann, a proponent for a separate Sikh homeland, from Sangrur, once the traditional bastion of AAP leader and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The AAP lost this seat in a 2022 by-poll, just three months after coming to the helm.

The state’s main Opposition Congress, the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Akali Dal in month-long high-octane electioneering tried to build up momentum on issues like the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, apprehensions over subversion of the Constitution, farmers’ issues, sharing of river waters and reopening of India-Pakistan trade apart from issues of infrastructure development, especially in border areas, drugs, law and order effective reinforcement, declining productivity both in industry and agriculture and civic problems.

Several Sikh issues, including heavy cut off in the blacklist of Sikh foreign nationals and the reopening of a corridor to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara -- one of the holiest of holy shrines as it is believed to be the final resting place of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev -- by the BJP-led Centre, also remained dominant issues on the religious side.

Among the candidates fielded by the BJP, which has been going solo for the first time since 1996, are sitting MPs, Preneet Kaur (from Patiala), Ravneet Bittu (Ludhiana), and Sushil Rinku (Jalandhar reserved) and former state minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi (Ferozepur), all once in the Congress.

Among the defectors fielded by the AAP are sitting Congress legislator Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur (reserved) and former legislators Gurpreet Singh GP (Fatehgarh Sahib-SC) and Pawan Tinu (Jalandhar-SC).

However, Congress has reposed faith in three turncoats -- four-time legislator Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Bathinda, Amarjit Kaur Sahoke from Faridkot, and former MP Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala. The Akali Dal has reposed faith in former Congress MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee from Jalandhar.

The interesting contests are on Congress strongholds -- Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala seats, Akali Dal bastion Bathinda and BJP-held Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur seats.

In 2019, the Congress won eight seats in Punjab -- Amritsar, Faridkot, Anandpur Sahib, Jalandhar, Khadoor Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala -- while the Akali Dal won from Bathinda and Ferozepur, and the BJP emerged winners in Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. The AAP won the Sangrur seat.