No alliance but Congress and AAP share victories in Punjab’s Doaba region

Channi had contested against BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku (2,14,060 votes) and AAP’s Pawan Kumar Tinu (2,08,889 votes). The former BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) finished in fourth place with 67,911 votes and the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate received 64,941 votes. Notably, the NOTA option got 4,743 votes in Jalandhar.

Congress emerged victorious in seven out of the nine Assembly segments falling under the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. The party secured victories in Phillaur, Adampur, Jalandhar Cantt, Kartarpur, Shahkot, Nakodar, and Jalandhar West, while BJP claimed victory in Jalandhar Central and Jalandhar North, both of which have a significant number of dedicated BJP supporters. Congress’s victory margins in these segments ranged between approximately 15,000 to 20,000 votes.

The victory in Jalandhar underscores a pivotal moment for the Congress party, reaffirming its traditional support base in the region. Historically, the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat has been a Congress bastion with the party winning it 15 times across 20 elections from 1952 to 2019. Channi’s emergence as a “parachute candidate” brought new energy to the campaign, which focused on development and combating drug addiction and resonated with the electorate.

Except for Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, all local Congress leaders rallied behind Channi, presenting a united front. Additionally, there was significant Dalit support for Channi, stemming from his status as Punjab’s first Dalit CM.

What also worked for the Congress was that while AAP’s ‘Zero Bill’ initiative resonated with “83% of the population”, there are additional concerns and unmet needs that the AAP government has ignored.

Finally, there was widespread disillusionment with turncoats and opportunists among the electorate, evident in the rejection of candidates from parties such as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), BJP, and AAP who had switched allegiances.

What led to AAP’s win in Hoshiarpur?

In Hoshiarpur, AAP candidate Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal secured victory by a margin of 44,111 votes after bagging 3,03,859 votes, while the first runner-up, Congress candidate Yamini Gomar, garnered 2,59,748 votes. BJP’s Anita Parkash, wife of sitting BJP MP and minister Som Prakash, received 1,99,994 votes. SAD secured the fourth position with 91,789 votes and BSP finished fifth with 48,214 votes.

Chabbewal led in four out of nine Assembly segments, namely Bholath, Phagwara, Chabbewal, and Sham Chaurasi. BJP led in three segments, including Mukerian, Dasuya, and Hoshiarpur, while Congress was ahead in two segments, Tanda Urmar and Shri Hargobindpur. Additionally, the BJP candidate secured the third position in Phagwara, a constituency represented twice by her former MP husband, Som Parkash, in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

There were several reasons for AAP’s victory in Hoshiarpur. Chabbewal’s rapport with the people, coupled with his development initiatives and medical background, contributed to his success. He is the proprietor of Raj 3-D Scan and Diagnosis Centres, operating across four districts of the state – Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Gurdaspur – as well as in Gagret, Himachal Pradesh. These centres provide affordable or even free services to the underprivileged.

Despite his political career, Chabbewal remains committed to his medical practice, often personally overseeing the administration of these centres and offering his services whenever possible. Additionally, he is actively involved in running an NGO, which has garnered significant support for him in both rural and urban areas. Over the last approximately 14 years since joining Congress in 2010, Chabbewal has diligently worked to consolidate his political base.

He actively highlighted the developmental projects undertaken in his Assembly segment and pledged to replicate these efforts across all constituencies within the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat.

AAP capitalised on Chabbewal’s potential and pressured him to join their party by threatening to file legal cases against him.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Yamini Gomar faced challenges due to a lack of political weight and the BJP suffered from anti-incumbency against its sitting MP Som Parkash, who focused primarily on select areas and failed to utilise a substantial portion of his MPLAD grants. He was notably absent from the campaign trail. Also, the BJP’s decision to deny a ticket to former Hoshiarpur MP Vijay Sampla did not go down well with his camp.