As Punjab goes out to vote on Sunday to elect a new Vidhan Sabha, more than the fate of an incumbent chief minister and at least three hopefuls for the top post, it is their prestige that is at stake for several stalwarts.
Following a heated campaign, 2.14 crore voters will seal the fate of 1,304 candidates in fray from the 117 Assembly constituencies. Among the stalwarts who have threw their hat in the ring are 94-year-old Parkash Singh Badal, a five-time former chief minister and the Shiromani Akali Dal patron; two-time former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, who was removed by Congress unceremoniously five months ago, and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. They are contesting from Lambi, Patiala, and Lehra Gaga, respectively.
Incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who is also the CM-face of Congress is seeking re-election from home turf Chamkaur Sahib. He is also contesting from Bhadaur. For Channi, the challenge is not only to win the two seats he is contesting from but also to steer the Congress ship to victory. The Congress has bet on a SC leader in Channi, for the first time in Punjab, while ignoring the claims of state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The PCC chief, meanwhile, is also locked in a battle of prestige in his Amritsar (East) constituency, from where former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia filed his candidature at the eleventh hour. For Sidhu and Majithia both, it is a do-or-die battle. To remain relevant in Congress, it is important for Sidhu to win the seat. Majithia, who is facing a case of drug smuggling, and has to surrender after the elections as per the Supreme Court orders, would like to win the election as it would mean his acquittal in the people’s court. While Sidhu has been calling Majithia a “smuggler” with the latter announcing that he is in fray to win and “teach an arrogant Sidhu a lesson.”
A loss for Majithia would mean double trouble for the SAD leader, who vacated his hometurf Majitha for wife, Ganieve Kaur after accepting Sidhu’s challenge. Amritsar (East) is being seen as the hottest seat in the state elections this time. Besides, Majithia also has to ensure the victory of his wife, a political greenhorn.
For Amarinder also, it will be a battle of prestige. Following his unceremonious exit from Congress, he floated his own Punjab Lok Congress Party (PLC) and allied with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for the polls. “He has to win this seat (Patiala), if he wants to convey a message to Congress. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing for him,” a political observer said. Amarinder will be judged for his party’s performance too, especially in wake of reports that several of hos candidates are contesting the polls on BJP symbol.
On the other side is Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhagwant Singh Mann, for whom it is not just his own electoral fight in Dhuri but also the bigger battle of securing the magical number of 59 to take his party to power. Mann was declared the CM candidate of AAP following his consistent battle within the party for past over five years.
It is a battle of prestige for Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal too, who is looking to come out of the shadow of his father and, for the first time, has been named the party’s CM face. Earlier, Akalis fought the state elections under the leadership of Parkash Singh Badal. It is an uphill battle for Sukhbir who has the unenviable task of taking his party out of the pits where it had landed in 2017 when Congress had romped home bagging 77 seats, and debutant AAP became the main opposition party winning 20 seats. The SAD had been relegated to the third position and its worst ever tally in Vidhan Sabha.
SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Dhindsa’s son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, a former finance minister is pitted against Bhattal in Lehra Gaga. This battle is also being watched keenly.
Samyukt Samaj Morcha’s (SSM) Balbir Singh Rajewal, being projected as the farm outfit’s CM candidate, is also contesting the polls for the first time. For him also, not only his performance in his battlefield Samrala, but also the performance of his party would be keenly watched.
Besides these stalwarts, 16 Cabinet ministers, and Mohit Mohindra, son of Cabinet Minister Brahm Mohindra, are also facing the electorate. During 2017 elections, the people of Punjab had made most of the ministers in Parkash Suingh Badal’s Cabinet bite the dust.
Rajya Sabha leader and former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa is also contesting Assembly elections after remaining in Parliament for a long time. His brother, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, had quit Congress after the party promised Partap a ticket from Qadian.
Channi’s brother, Dr Manohar Singh is contesting as an Independent from Bassi Pathana constituency while Cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh’s son, Rana Inderpal Singh is in fray from Sultanpur Lodhi as an Independent against Congress nominee Navtej Singh Cheema. While Rana Gurjit has been openly supporting his son, Channi has not supported his brother.
While 2022 elections could be the last political battle for some, former PPCC chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar had already chosen to stay out of electoral politics this time.