Malwa Region's Influence In Elections, Paving Way To Victory For Punjab?

Punjab is divided into Malwa, Majha and Doaba regions. The Malwa belt is south of the Sutlej river. In politics, it is said win Malwa to win Punjab Fourteen of the states 23 districts are in the region. Ludhiana, Bathinda, Patiala and Moga are the key districts. On expanding Doaba comes the two words Do means two and Aab’means river in Punjabi. The region falls between the Beas and Sutlej rivers. Between the Ravi and the Beas rivers falls Majha.

Assembly & National Seats in Malwa, Doaba, and Majha Regions

Located along the border with Pakistan, the region has 25 of the 117 assembly seats in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarn Taran and Amritsar. As far as national elections are concerned, eight seats Ludhiana, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot (SC), Fatehgarh Sahib (SC), Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and Sangrur fall in Malwa. Hoshairpur (SC) and Jalandhar (SC) are in Doaba. The Majha region has Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib LS seats.

Congress Victories In 2019, AAP In Jalandhar, SAD In Malwa

Congress won eight seats in 2019, bucking the pro-Modi trend seen across the north and centre. The grand old party won in Ludhiana, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot from Malwa, and Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib in the Majha regions. It also won in Jalandhar in Doaba. However, in the 2023 by-election, AAP bagged Jalandhar seat. Shiromani Akali Dal won from Bathinda and Ferozepur in Malwa.

AAP won in Sangrur also in Malwa. BJP won Hoshiarpur (Doaba) and Gurdaspur (Majha) seats. However, in the 2022 by-election, SAD (Amritsar) won in Sangrur while AAP in Jalandhar in 2023 by-election. Malwa has 69 assembly seats.

Malwa's Political Influence & Role In Farmers' Agitation

The region sways in Punjab politics as leaders like Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Beant Singh, Bhagwant Mann who became chief ministers hailed from this belt. Malwa was the epicentre of farmers’ agitation in 2020- 21 against the farm laws.

Punjab's Electoral Dynamics

In the 2022 assembly poll, AAP swept Malwa by winning 66 of the 69 seats. Significantly, Majha is called the Panthic belt. It is home to Golden Temple in Amritsar. Doaba has a sizeable SC population, constituting 32 per cent of Punjab's population, highest in the country. It has 23 assembly seats. It is the northern state’s smallest and the most prosperous region. Most NRIs come from here.