Prohibitory measures under CrPC section 144 have been imposed in all districts in Punjab and gathering of people outside the counting centres is prohibited, Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said ahead of the counting of votes on Thursday.
All necessary arrangements have been made for the counting, and as per instructions of the Election Commission, only two people can accompany the winning candidate or his official representative to the counting centre to collect the certificate, he said, adding that victory processions are prohibited as well.
Raju said the counting will begin at 8 am at 117 centres set up for the exercise at 66 places in the state.
Personnel from 45 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed at the counting centres. Around 7,500 officials will be deputed for the counting process in the state, he added.
KEY PLAYERS:
1. Bhagwant Mann
The electoral fight of the Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president, the second time MP and the AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann is one of the most keenly contested in the state this election. Even as he is set to enhance his political stature – given the exit polls forecasts of AAP getting a clear majority in the 117-seat election. However, the worry for him is that Dhuri seat from where he is contesting is not a cake-walk for him as it has Congress’ legislator Dalvir Singh Khangura aka Goldy.
2. Charanjit Singh Channi
The Congress’ CM face Charanjit Singh Channi, who is also the state’s first Dalit CM and a three-time legislator from Chamkaur Sahib seat is also fighting from Bhadaur seat in Malwa belt. The poll results would also reflect whether or not the party cadre has accepted him as the party leader as the political scientists opine that pitting a Dalit CM in Punjab could also lead to consolidation of all the upper caste vote bank of the party against him.
3. Navjot Singh Sidhu
The state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, a three-time MP had won the 2017 assembly elections from Amritsar (East) hands down on Congress ticket. He faces his sworn enemy Bikram Singh Majithia, a three-time legislator and the brother-in-law of former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is Majithia’s sister). Sidhu was instrumental in getting Majithia in drugs case ahead of polls, while the latter calls Sidhu `"a fraud and cheat’’. This indeed is a high-adrenaline election as Sidhu has more foes than he ever had. For, Sidhu was also instrumental in dislodging unceremoniously Capt Amarinder Singh from the post of chief minister last September following which the latter also quitted Congress as well and floated his Punjab Lok Congress. This is besides the supporters of Charanjit Singh Channi, the state’s first Dalit chief minister who see Sidhu as a challenge to Channi.
4. Parkash Singh Badal
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, the oldest candidate in the fray in the country, seems all set to make yet another record in the electoral history of the state. He has been a record 11-time legislator and five-time chief minister. He is fighting from his home turf Lambi seat for the sixth consecutive time. He won from Gidderbaha seat five times in a row since 1965 and Lambi for as many times since 1997. He had also defeated the then Congress chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in 2017 in Lambi by about 22,000 votes.
5. Capt Amarinder Singh
A former parliamentarian, three-time president of the state Congress, five-time MLA and the two-time chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has fought from his home turf Patiala seat enthusiastically despite his unceremonious exit as CM and from the Congress about six months ago. He has repeatedly said that he would ensure the defeat of his detractors, mainly, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who he held responsible for causing bad blood in the party. The scion of erstwhile Patiala princely state Capt Amarinder Singh has floated his Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and is fighting this election in alliance with the saffron party and SAD splinter group SAD (Sanyukt). He has close ties with BJP top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
6. Sukhbir Singh Badal
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, has contested for the fourth time from Jalalabad seat, which is located close to the Pakistan border. In 2017, the seat witnessed a high-voltage contest when the AAP fielded its state unit chief and now party’s CM face Bhagwant Mann, and the Congress its Lok Sabha MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu against Sukhbir. Though Sukhbir won the polls, his victory margin fell drastically from his maiden contest in 2009 when it was a margin of over 80,000 votes while in the 2017 election, the margin fell to 18,500 votes.
DARK HORSES:
1. Lakha Sidhana
The gangster-turned-politician Lakhveer Singh, aka Lakha Sidhana, is a Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) candidate from Maur constituency. He banks on his image of being a fearless person against the political bigwigs. He faces over a dozen criminal cases, including those of attempt-to-murder, unauthorised use of a mobile phone in jail, in different states. His most recent case was his alleged role in the Red Fort violence during farmers’ protest on Republic Day last year.
2. Balbir Singh Rajewal
Balbir Singh Rajewal, who was one of the main faces of the over-a-year-long farmers’ protest on Delhi borders against now-repealed farm laws, has contested his maiden assembly election from his home turf, Samrala, which has so far been choosing between the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates. Though he has been close to all the political parties in the past, his Sanyukt Samaj Morcha is contesting in alliance with BJP and Capt Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress.
3. Dr Manohar Singh
Congress chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s brother Dr Manohar Singh has fought from Bassi Pathana constituency (district Fatehgarh Sahib) against Congress’ sitting MLA Gurpreet Singh. Though his decision left his brother and the party red-faced he is confident of his win as he says he had since long been active in the social activities in the constituency.
4. Amrik Singh Dhillon
Congress’ four-time MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon has fought as independent from his Samrala (district Ludhiana) seat after the Congress decided to replace him with Rupinder Singh Raja Gill, a prominent realtor from nearby Khanna segment and who is the son of former minister Karam Singh Gill. He is likely to spring a surprise here.
5. Harminder Jassi
Another threat of severe damage to the Congress candidate is from three-time former MLA Harminder Singh Jassi, a relative of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is contesting from Talwandi Sabo seat (district Bathinda) against party candidate Khushbaz Singh Jattana. He is set to impact the poll equations here.
6. Angad Singh
The Congress’ sitting MLA Angad Singh in the Nawanshahr constituency is contesting as independent after being replaced with Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki. He was denied a ticket by state Congress as his wife Aditi Singh, MLA from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, joined the BJP. He has potential to spin the game.
NOTED TURNCOATS
1. Anil Joshi
A two-time MLA, former minister and a fire brand BJP leader Anil Joshi had left the saffron party and joined SAD over the farm laws last year. He has potential to win though he faces a stiff contest from sitting Congress MLA Sunil Dutti in Amritsar (north) seat.
2. Arvind Khanna
A Congress leader Arvind Khanna who had shifted loyality to the BJP has fought from the Sangrur seat and is all set to impact the poll equations there. A known social worker, Khanna has also been a two-time legislator.
3. Harjot Kamal
Another Congress leader and former MLA Harjot Kamal too has shifted over to BJP and has been fielded from Moga. An Ayurveda doctor by profession, Kamal has also been a leader of youth wing of Congress for several years.
4. Sukhpal Khaira
Sukhpal Khaira had won the Bholath seat it in 2007 as a Congress candidate and again on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket in 2017 defeating his arch-rival Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD’s) senior leader Bibi Jagir Kaur. The seat has been won thrice by Jagir Kaur and twice by Khaira since 1997. Khaira had defeated Jagir Kaur’s son-in-law Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket in 2017. He is back with Congress.
5. Rana Gurmeet Sodhi
A four-time legislator and the former minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi has fought from Ferozepur seat. Sodhi was the sports minister in the former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh's Cabinet, but was excluded from new chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s ministry.
6. Fateh Jung Bajwa
The sitting MLA from Qadian, Fateh Jung Bajwa has shifted over to BJP and has fought from Batala. He has repeatedly said that he had not planned to join the BJP but was feeling suffocated in the Congress as it had four to five leaders wanting to become the CM. He is younger brother of a senior Congress leader Partap Bajwa, currently a Rajya Sabha member.
IMPORTANT SEATS
AMRITSAR (EAST): In what is being seen as the mother of all battles, Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu faces senior Akali leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia who was booked in a drugs case ahead of polls.
BHADAUR: Congress’ chief ministerial face Charanjit Singh Channi has fought from two seats Chamkaur Sahib as well as Bhadaur seats. The Malwa region in which Bhadaur falls is AAP citadel and the Bhadaur seat, a stronghold of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). This seat has been won only twice by Congress since 1967.
BATHINDA (URBAN): Even as the sitting Congress legislator Manpreet Singh Badal has fought for his sixth win as a legislator, it is the first time that the Bathinda (urban) assembly constituency witnessed a four-corner contest.
JALANDHAR (CENTRAL): BJP veteran Manoranjan Kalia and his enemy number one and Congress’ sitting legislator Rajinder Beri face each other, once again.
AMRITSAR (NORTH): Sitting Congress MLA Sunil Dutti worked overtime to retain his Amritsar (north) assembly the seat, though faces a stiff fight from SAD and AAP.
BHOLUTH: Firebrand Congress leader and two-time MLA Sukhpal Khair fight three- time MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was the first woman president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC – a powerful organisation that is responsible for the management of gurdwaras).
SAMRALA: Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal has fought Congress candidate in latter’s strong- hold; It is the first time a farmers’ outfit, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) is in the fray.
MOHALI: The richest candidate of AAP, Kulwant Singh, has challenged the three-time Congress MLA Balbir Singh here.
MALERKOTLA: The Malerkotla constituency which is the only Muslim- dominated seat in Punjab has wives of Punjab’s two former DGPs fighting each other for the second time.
PATHANKOT: The Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma faces a stiff triangular contest with sitting Congress legislator Amit Vij as well as AAP’s Vibhuti Sharma in BJP stronghold.
PHAGWARA: The BJP’s former Union minister Vijay Sampla faces a stiff contest from his rivals as well as the infighting within the saffron party this election.
