Punjab politics goes in fast lane of bipolarity

Jalandhar Assembly bypoll verdict shows signs of churn in Punjab

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, July 16: Death of former Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary from Jalandhar in Punjab had necessitated a bypoll for the parliamentary constituency in 2023. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had emerged in leads in two Assembly constituencies in Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat in 2023.

In the course of the next 14 months, the Punjab politics went through subtle churning. The BJP national general secretary, Tarun Chugh, had taken pride in the fact that only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP had leads in the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.

The BJP, in fact, had leads in two Assembly seats in the 2023 bypoll for the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency. The mandarins of the saffron outfit began believing that the AAP and the BJP would be the two poles of the Punjab politics.

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Jalandhar West Assembly bypoll verdict is now being seen as a possible culmination of the long churning that had set out since the 2023 byelection. The AAP won the Jalandhar (West) Assembly by-election. The Congress nominee lost the election with about 37,000 votes.

The voters sent 13 other candidates to the fringes. The BJP, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and Bahujan Samaj Party made little impacts.

The BJP leaders in 2023 believed that the Congress was headed for annihilation in Punjab. Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the state Congress face, Sunil Jakhar, were in the ranks of the BJP.

The BJP was on a spree to induct the Congress leaders. The BJP was more sanguine to induct Sikh leaders even if they had questionable political stocks.

Punjab is among a few states in the country with most infertile ground for the BJP. The last man in the BJP ranks to gain attention from Punjab was Navojot Singh Sidhu.

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Since late Arun Jaitely had to bite the dust from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 general elections, the BJP now is sharing a common fate with its former ally, the SAD. Both have become irrelevant in Punjab politics.

The Congress won seven Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections. Far from being annihilated with the nibbling of its ranks by the BJP, the Congress asserted its domination in Punjab by winning over 26 per cent vote base.

The count of the BJP read zero in the Lok Sabha from Punjab. The AAP won three Lok Sabha seats. The SAD was able to open its account, and two Independents crossed the finishing line.

In the Jalandhar Assembly by-election, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann camped in the constituency for 15-day. Mann drew a sigh of relief to lead the victory of the AAP candidate, Mohinder Bhagat.

The BJP was again riding a turncoat, Sheetal Angural. Her resignation as a legislator from the AAP to join the BJP had necessitated the byelection.

The rebellion in the ranks of the SAD against the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal spilled to the street in the bypoll. The party workers were backing the BSP nominee in the bypoll, claimed Punjab-based political observers.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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