Wake-up call for AAP: Mann defeats AAP in its citadel

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Wake-up call for AAP: Mann defeats AAP in its citadel

Monday, 27 June 2022 | Monika Malik | Chandigarh

In a wake-up call for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer-turned-politician Simranjeet Singh Mann on Sunday defeated the ruling part in its first electoral test in Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection just 100 days after the massive mandate from Punjab.

A known Khalistan-ideologue Mann, in a neck-and-neck fight, won Sangrur parliamentary constituency — a seat represented by AAP since 2014 — by a slim margin of 5822 votes. Mann bagged 2,53,154 votes — 35.61 per cent of the total votes polles, defeating AAP’s first-timer and district unit head Gurmail Singh Sarpanch, who secured 2,47,332 (34.79 per cent).

In a clear cut message to reject the traditional political players, the candidates of three main parties — Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — forfeited their security deposit. They all failed to secure minimum 1.18 lakh (1,18,470) votes — the one-sixth of the total.

Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy finished third with 79,668 votes (11.21 per cent), followed by BJP's Kewal Singh Dhillon with 66,298 votes (9.33 per cent), while SAD’s Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana has to satisfy with 44,428 votes (6.25 per cent).

Sangrur — which has emerged as the stronghold of AAP, especially that of incumbent Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who had won the seat twice in 2014 and 2019 — gave a huge jolt to the ruling party despite the slew of pro-people decisions and initiatives it has taken in less than four years in government, including anti-corruption helpline, free power from July 1, doorstep ration delivery, advertising jobs, among others.

However, it seems, the ruling party failed to reduce the effect of killing of popular Punjabi singer-rapper Sidhu Moosewala, with AAP facing the blame of first pruning his security and then publicising it — which led to his brutal daylight murder. In fact, it is believed that Sidhu Moosewala’s killing had worked in Simranjeet Singh Mann’s favour with the youth and rural electors coming out in his support.

Even during February 2022 state assembly polls, Moosewala — who was then contesting as Congress candidate from Mansa — had expressed his desire to go and campaign for Mann, who was contesting from Amargarh segment. Also, the support actor-Sikh activist Deep Sidhu had extended to Mann during assembly polls, also seemed to have worked for him in this election too.

On the other hand, it is believed that inaccessibility of local leaders after formation of AAP government, delay in fulfilling major pre-poll promises like Rs 1000 to all 18-plus women, free power, a comparatively weak candidate, and strong multi-cornered contest, among others have caused the ruling party its pocket-borough.

AAP, which had won all the nine assembly constituencies under Sangrur Lok Sabha seat including that of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer just about four months ago, had never thought of losing to Mann, who has not won a single election — be it of assembly, Lok Sabha, or SGPC polls — since his last victory in 1999.

Of the nine assembly segments, AAP managed to lead in five — including Bhagwant Mann’s Dhuri; while Mann secured lead in four constituencies — including Dirba (represented by Finance Minister Cheema), and Barnala (represented by Education Minister Hayer).

 

The electorates of Sangrur had elected Mann in 2014 with a record margin of over two lakh votes, and re-elected in 2019 by over one lakh votes against the political veterans. The bypoll was necessitated when he resigned from the seat after taking over as the CM on March 16.

 

BOX...

Assembly Constituency-Wise Comparison of Vote Share, and Lead

CONSTITUENCY                                SAD (A) - MANN               AAP - GURMAILS                                             LEAD

Sangrur                                                27,803                                   30,295                                   2,492

Dhuri                                     21,124                                   33,160                                   12,036

Sunam                                  34,529                                   36,012                                   1,483

Lehra Gaga                         23,349                                   26,139                                   2,790

Mehal Kalan                       25,014                                   25,217                                   203

Dirba                                     37,226                                   29,673                                   7,553

Barnala                                 25,722                                   23,427                                   2,295

Bhadaur                                               27,628                                   20,503                                   7,125

Malerkotla                                          30,503                                   22,402                                   8,101

TOTAL                                   2,53,154                                               2,47,332                                               5,822

 

 

 

Opposition congratulates Mann, attacks AAP

Result is referendum against AAP: Warring

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday said that AAP’s decisive defeat was a referendum against the government as it had miserably failed the expectations of people who had voted for them just three months ago.

Accepting the verdict of people, he congratulated Simranjeet Singh Mann for his victory. “This is an unprecedented defeat of a ruling party that is in office for just 100 days,” he remarked while pointing out that at least 4.5 lakh people voted against the AAP candidate in Sangrur.

The PCC president said that the people of Punjab have been clear and categorical in their verdict against the autocratic and dictatorial attitude of this government which is being run more with vendetta and vengeance than with any intention of providing good governance. “It is actually a verdict against the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has been running the show from behind the scenes", he remarked while hoping that it should be a lesson for Bhagwant Mann who has surrendered his authority to Kejriwal and is always too keen to play second fiddle to him.

 

PR can never be a substitute to good governance: Bajwa

Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa said that the emphatic setback to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP from their pocket borough of Sangrur is a “reminder that Public Relations (PR) can never be a substitute to good governance”.

He said that the electoral defeat of the AAP Government within a short period of three months from the assembly elections is a “testament of their misgovernance and hollow promises...This is a message from Punjab to Arvind Kejriwal and Raghav Chadha to stop their politics of remote controlling Punjab and treating it like their colony to subserve their personal interests”.

 

SAD contested on principles, would continue to stand by them: Sukhbir

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday whole-heartedly congratulated SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann on his electoral victory in Sangrur parliamentary by-poll and offered him the party’s cooperation.

“We bow before the mandate of the people in a true democratic spirit and are confident Mann will raise his voice to get the grievances of Punjabis addressed in Parliament,” said Sukhbir, SAD MP from Ferozepur.

Sukhbir said SAD had contested the by-poll on principles and would continue to stand by them. “We had put up a nominee from the families of Sikh detenues in league with all panthic organizations. This was a principled fight. We will continue to strive to secure the release of the Sikh detenues,” he said.

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