Political history of the Doaba: 2 reserved seats where Cong clocked most wins but BJP put up tough fight

With less than three weeks to go for the voting day here (May 19), a peep into the history of both seats since the first general elections in 1951-1952:

doaba, political history of doaba, lok sabha elections, jalandhar lok sabha seat, hoshiarpur

The Congress has won both seats maximum times in the past. But in Hoshiarpur, the past four elections have been a 50-50 game between both Congress and BJP, who got it twice each.

The Doaba region, which is also called the Dalit as well as NRI belt of Punjab, has two Lok Sabha constituencies — Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur — both reserved. With less than three weeks to go for the voting day here (May 19), a peep into the history of both seats since the first general elections in 1951-1952:

The Congress has won both seats maximum times in the past. But in Hoshiarpur, the past four elections have been a 50-50 game between both Congress and BJP, who got it twice each. The Jalandhar seat remained with Congress only in the past four elections since 1999 to 2014. Doaba has 37% Dalit votes.

Hosiharpur

For the Hoshiarpur seat, the present fight is among four candidates — retired IAS officer and Phagwara BJP MLA Som Parkash, Congress MLA from Chabbewal Assembly constituency Dr. Raj Kumar, retired IAS officer and PDA’s Khushi Ram and Aam Aadmi Party’s Dr Ravjot Singh.

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Som Parkash, who is contesting the second Lok Sabha election from here — he had contested in 2009 and lost to the Congress nominee by 366 votes — has the maximum experience as he is also two-time MLA.

In past 16 elections, Congress won this seat 10 times, it went thrice to the BJP and once each to Bhartiya Jan Sangh, Bhatriya Lok Dal and BSP.

Since 1952, the Congress lost from this seat the first time in 1967 when Jan Sangh’s Jai Singh won from here. In 1977, Balbir Singh of the Bhartiya Lok Dal won. Then the BJP got this seat in 1998, 2004 and 2014 and BSP won from here in 1996.

Former president Giani Zail Singh had become MP from this seat in 1980. Former BSP Founder Kanshi Ram won in 1996.

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In the seven elections beginning 1992 to 2014, the Congress could win this seat thrice in 1992 (Punjab was under President’s rule from 1987-91 so the 10th Lok Sabha elections were held in 1992 instead of 1991). In 1992, the Akali Dal had boycotted that election and Congress candidate won from here. Congress again won this seat in 1999 and 2009. However, it lost it to the BSP in 1996 and the BJP won from here in 1998, 2004 and 2014.

In the the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, the Congress got 6 out of 7 seats here in Hoshiarpur and one went to AAP while SAD -BJP alliance could not open its account.

Jalandhar

A Congress bastion even during the dark years of militancy in Punjab, the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency, is witnessing a fight among SAD’s Charanjit Singh Atwal, Congress’ Santokh Chaudhary, PDA’s Balwinder Kumar and AAP’s Justice Jora Singh. SAD and Congress candidates have a long experience of contest and both the contesting 8th and 7th elections respectively while the other two are first-timers.

It is the Dalit vote that plays a major role here every time.

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Since 1952, this is the 17th Lok Sabha election. In past 16 , Congress had won 12 times from Jalandhar. Among the important winners from here were former prime minister I K Gujral, former Cabinet minister Swaran Singh and Darbara Singh.

Since the first election, Congress lost this seat for the first time in 1971 when SAD’s Iqbal Singh Dhillon got this seat and then Inder Kumar Gujral (Janta Dal) had won it in 1989. Following this, Darbara Singh and Gujral got elected from here in 1996 and 1998 respectively. In the past 20 years, the seat remained with Congress in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.

The constituency has 9 assembly segments. After the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Jalandhar constituency became a reserved seat following the delimitation.

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