26% SAD candidates failed to get one-sixth of the total votes polled

An analysis of votes polled in favour of SAD revealed that 26 out of the 97 candidates it fielded for the February 20 polls could not reach the mandatory vote count of one-sixth (16.66%) of the total votes polled to save their security deposits

Chandigarh

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal meeting party workers at Badal village in Muktsar on Friday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

At least 26% of the candidates fielded by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had to forfeit their security deposits after they could not secure the mandatory vote count of one-sixth of the total votes polled in their constituencies.

SAD contested the polls in alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), giving it 20 seats in the 117-member state legislative assembly. SAD won three seats, while BSP could get only a single seat.

An analysis of votes polled in favour of SAD revealed that 26 out of the 97 candidates it fielded for the February 20 polls could not reach the mandatory vote count of one-sixth (16.66%) of the total votes polled to save their security deposits.

“The way people of Punjab voted for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the vote count for other parties was bound to have an adverse impact,” said Jagrup Singh Sekhon, former head of political science department of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

The alliance partner purposed for hitching 32% dalit votes was also found biting the dust on majority of seats allotted to them. Three-fourth of BSP candidates lost their deposits.

Five former SAD ministers, on whom the party had high expectations, fell in the list. They include – Baldev Singh Mann, who got 12,714 votes (8.22%) in Sunam constituency. Former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal got 12,038 votes (8.74%) from Lehra seat. SAD’s one of the seasoned leaders, its spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema got 22,338 votes (16.45%) from Ropar. Party’s candidate from Ludhiana-West Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal got 10,072 (8.58%). both also remained as cabinet ministers in the past. From Ludhiana-South, Hira Singh Gabria got 11,243 (10.66%).

Parkash Chand Garg, party’s former MLA who contested from Dhuri, got 6,991 votes, registering the lowest poll percentage of 5.44%.

From Ludhiana-East, Ranjit Singh Dhillon clocked 20,369 votes (14%), Harish Rai Dhanda got 7,120 votes (6.78%) in Atam Nagar and Ludhiana Central’s candidate Pritpal Singh Pali secured 8,220 votes (8.35%). Ludhiana-North’s R D Sharma got 11,454 votes (9%).

Raj Kumar Bittu from Sujanpur got 7,999 votes (6%), Parvinder Singh Baidwan from SAS Nagar got 9,628 (6.2%), Nusrat Ali Khan from Malerkotla got 8,421 votes (6.68%), Winnerjit Singh Goldy from Sangrur got 10,488 votes (7.24%), Dalbir Singh from Amritsar-West got 10,370 votes (8.74%), Jagdeep SIngh Cheema from Fatehgarh Sahib got 10,922 votes (8.7%), Hansraj Josan from Fazilka got 13,717 votes (9.45%) and Chandan Kumar Grewal from Jalandhar-Central got 10,907 votes (10%).

Others include Mohinder Kumar Rinwa from Abohar with 14,345 votes (10.78%). In Balluana, Prithi Ram Megh got 17,816 votes (12.38%), Harpal Juneja from Patiala got 11,835 votes (11.44%), Jaspal Singh Bittu Chatha from Patiala-Rural got 19,996 votes (13.49%) and Rohit Vohra from Ferozpur city got 17,757 (14.26%).

Charanjit Singh Brar, SAD’s candidate from Rajpura, 15,006 votes (10.97%).

Two candidates who forfeited their deposits by missing a few hundred votes include Prem Kumar Arora from Mansa with 7,180 votes (15.64%) and Harminder Singh from Sultanpur Lodhi with 17,468 votes (16.16%).

75% candidates of BSP lost deposits

Seven candidates of BSP got less than 5% vote share. Jyoti Pal Bhim from Pathankot got 1,079 votes (0.95%), Harmohan Singh from Chamkaur Sahib got 3,802 votes (2.58%), Anil Meena from Jalandhar-West got 4,125 votes (3.55%), Rakesh Kumar from Bhoa got 4,968 votes (3.67%), Nutan Kumar from Anandpur got 5,923 votes (4.18%), Dalvir Kaur from Amritsar-Central got 4,016 votes (4.61%) and Kuldip Singh Lubana from Jalandhar-North got 6,153 votes (4.8%).

Shiv Kumar Kalyan from Bassi Pathana got 7,859 votes (7%), Balwinder Singh Sandhu from Raikot secured 8,381 votes (7.38%). Devinder Singh Dhapai from Kapurthala clocked 8,627 votes (8.4%), Chamkaur Singh from Mehal Kalan got 10,934 votes (9%), Virinder Singh Parihar from Hoshiarpur got 12,087 votes (9.45%), Mohinder Singh Sandhar from Sham Chaurasi got 13,512 votes (10.89%), Kamaljeet Chawla from Dina Nagar got 15,534 votes (11.12%) and Jasprit Singh Bija from Payal got 20,648 votes (16.28%).