No upset in Punjab, Cong takes all

Having been held just three months after the Congress came to power in the state, the municipal elections were seen as a referendum on the party’s performance. And the answer was a resounding yes. Not only has the party won the four corporations, it also bagged most urban assembly segments in the cities of Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar — as it had done in the Assembly elections.

As a bonus, Patiala, the hometown of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, brought the best news, though details of the final results are still awaited. The Congress won 37 of the 49 seats and the Akalis only four. The BJP failed to open its account here while Independents grabbed eight.

At Amritsar, the Congress won 20 of the 30 seats, while the BJP had to be satisfied with three. Independents won six and the CPI one seat. Jalandhar too had the Congress securing a clear majority. Of the 55 seats, the Congress bagged 32, with the BJP claiming seven seats and the Akali Dal four. Though an official announcement of the results is awaited, Independents seem to have bagged 10 seats.

Ludhiana saw the Akali Dal-BJP combine do slightly better, but the Congress maintained its lead. As per information available from various booths, counting on 63 seats indicated victory for the Congress on 36, while the SAD-BJP combine would bag 21. The remaining six seats have been claimed by Independents.

The three Congress contenders for the post of Mayor in Ludhiana also won, including Nahar Singh Gill, Surjit Singh Ahluwalia and Prem Mittal.

The Congress is believed to have gained from the anti-corruption drive initiated by Amarinder, which has shown many Akali leaders and appointees in bad light. To add to the woes of the Akalis, a day prior to the elections, a case was registered against former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah.

Last week, Amarinder released letters written by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal supporting the claim of Punjab Public Service Commission Chairman Ravinder Paul Singh Sidhu for elevation to the Union Public Service Commission. All this contributed to the Akali debacle.

The BJP did no better, and the party meets tomorrow to analyse the results. The Akalis at least have the fig leaf that their strength is rural areas, but the BJP can’t even cite that.