There is only one Lok Sabha constituency out of the 13 in Punjab from where the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance has not yet announced the name of its candidate. It?s the crucial Bathinda constituency. The contest from Bathinda is being viewed as the most prestigious in the state.
While the Akalis have declared that one of the family members from the Badal clan shall be the SAD candidate, the party has been eagerly waiting for the Congress to declare its own candidate. The frontrunner for the Congress ticket is Raninder Singh, son of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. There is also talk of the Captain himself jumping into the fray. If that happens, the Akalis may like to tie him down to the constituency.
It is in Bathinda that followers of the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh hold considerable sway. Their support to the Congress in the previous assembly elections had almost upset the apple-cart for the Akalis who have traditionally dominated the area. Subsequently, dera supporters were involved in clashes with Akali supporters. It will be an arduous task for the Akalis to regain their hold in the area.
The Akalis are taking few chances as this Lok Sabha election is considered to be an acid test for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal?s son Sukhbir Badal who was recently made deputy chief minister. Sukhbir is also president of SAD. In these Lok Sabha elections, he will formally lead the party.
Badal Junior has been actively campaigning since the last one month and has had the final say in the allocation of tickets. Among his candidates are two newcomers, a Congress rebel and a folk singer. Incidentally, coalition partner, BJP, has nominated ?non cadre? candidates for all the three constituencies from where the party is contesting. Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu stands from Amritsar while actor Vinod Khanna has been re-nominated from Gurdaspur. Its third candidate is a former IAS officer, Som Pal, who recently resigned from service.
The Congress, which could win only two of the 13 seats in the 2004 elections (with SAD winning 8 and BJP taking 3), is looking forward to increasing its tally. Besides the contest with the SAD-BJP combine, the party will have to deal with dissension and the ungainly sight of senior party leaders crossing swords in public. After being ignored for the post of party chief and leader of opposition, Capt Amarinder Singh has been made in-charge of the party?s campaign. In yet another twist, he has been kept off the party?s committee to select candidates from the state. However, he remains the party?s most effective leader in the state.
While it is going to be a straight contest between the SAD-BJP combine and the Congress, the BSP has announced it will contest from all 13 seats. But it is expected to make
only a marginal difference in a couple of constituencies. Interestingly, among its candidates are a former governor, a former superintendent of police, a former judge and a retired forest officer. The Left has no support base worth the name left in the state and may contest only one seat.
The Congress as well as SAD increased their vote share in the 2007 assembly elections as compared to the 2004 general elections. The Congress, which lost the assembly elections, secured 40.9% of votes which was higher than the SAD?s 37.09%. Its alliance partner, BJP, received 8.28% (lower than the 10.48% it bagged in 2004) and together they were able to get 67 seats against the Congress tally of 44 seats. The BSP?s vote share also came down from 7.6% in 2004 to 4.13% in 2007.
Thus, even though it lost 11 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 and lost power in 2007, the Congress is a formidable force in the state. With the party almost reaching its nadir in the 2004 general elections, it is bound to improve upon its tally of 2 seats. By how much, is the question.
