Punjab gives clear verdict in civic polls

Aug 09: clear victory of Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in municipality elections in Punjab has given a serious blow to Congress position in Punjab. The alliance almost wiped out congress from the state in civic polls.

The victory has belied the prediction of the experts that due to the recent violence in the state the alliance may suffer.

In elections held in all the four municipal corporations, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar, alliance registered its sweep everywhere dashing various prominent leaders of congress to the ground.

In Patiala the ruling alliance registered unprecedented victory obtaining 46 seats with the support of independents leaving just four seats for Congress. In a major play mayor Vishnu Sharma of congress also lost to the rebel of his party only, Kishan Chand.

In Ludhiana SAD-BJP got 38 together, Congress obtaining just 18 out of 75 wards.

Jalandhar had no different story with SAD-BJP grabbing 33 out of total 60 wards. Congress and BJP remained at equal level each gaining 19 seats while SAD got 14. Though BJP received a shock too in form of the defeat of cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia.

Amritsar gave 16 seats to SAD, 17 to its ally BJP and 22 seats to Congress and 8 seats to independent candidates.

Alliance was accused of rigging, booth capturing and misuse of state-machinery at their disposal by the opposition. Congress also withdrew some of his candidates at last moment

Congress also demanded that the state election commission should declare the elections ‘null and void’.

With the exception of some incidents of stone throwing and firing in air at two-three places, polling has been peaceful.

Encouraged by the victory Prakash Singh Badal has re-iterated his commitments for the development in education, infrastructure which he did in election campaigns. He said that he is feeling himself more responsible than before due to the faith people showed in him.

CPI, CPM and BSP got one, one and two seats respectively. This becomes important in the wake of recent announced aspiration of S C Mishra to make his party an all India party while disclosing plan to contest independently in Gujrat.