SNE NETWORK.CHANDIGARH.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha election results in Punjab, new challenges have arisen for many veteran leaders. At the same time, the future of many leaders is in danger. Congress has definitely got oxygen in these Lok Sabha elections, but for the rest of the parties and leaders, the election is quite a challenge and a danger bell.
This is a danger bell for Akali Dal supremo Sukhbir Badal. With Amritpal Singh and Sarbjit Singh Khalsa becoming MPs in Punjab, Panthic leaders have got a platform. Akali Dal has been reduced to one seat. In 2019, Akali Dal had two MPs, whereas in 2014 when the AAP wave swept Punjab and four MPs won, even at that time four Akali MPs had reached the Lok Sabha. These included Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sher Singh Ghubaya.
In 2009 also, SAD had four MPs and the vote share was 34.28 percent, which has now shrunk to 13 percent. The road ahead is difficult for Sukhbir Badal. The rift with Bikram Majithia has become public and he has expelled his brother-in-law and former CM’s grandson Adesh Pratap Kairon from the party. This has also been opposed by Dhindsa and Bibi Jagir Kaur. The report of Iqbal Singh Jhundha Committee, who lost the election from Sangrur, has not been implemented yet, in which it has been recommended to make someone else the party president in place of Sukhbir Badal. Akali Dal has not been able to save its deposit on many seats. The spark can arise again regarding the leadership of Sukhbir Badal. Panthic leaders are surrounding Sukhbir Badal from all sides. Big faces of Akali Dal like Prem Singh Chandumajra and Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema lost badly.
Captain’s political innings comes to an end
On the other hand, Captain Amarinder Singh’s political innings seems to have come to an end. Captain Amarinder Singh has not campaigned at all in these elections. Captain Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur has not been able to save her seat. His daughter Jaiindra Kaur is the state head of the women’s BJP, but she has also not shown any activism in this election. There is already anger within the party regarding BJP chief Sunil Jakhar that Jakhar, who came from Congress, has been appointed in place of a typical BJP leader, but with the party getting out on zero in Punjab, Jakhar’s chair is in danger. In 2019, BJP had won two seats in Punjab, one of which was Hoshiarpur and the other was Gurdaspur, but this time both the seats have been lost. Not only this, PM Modi held rallies in four Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab and BJP has lost all those four seats.
Bittu lost after joining BJP
Ravneet Bittu, grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, became MP from Ludhiana thrice but has lost after joining BJP. The road ahead is difficult for him because the party cadre is not able to digest him. Vijay Sampla was the in-charge of this seat and after losing the seat, Sampla will also have to answer to the high command. Sampla is going on the margins in BJP. His left and right hand Robin Sampla and Pradeep Khullar left BJP and joined AAP just before the elections. Questions are being raised on Sampla regarding this.
At the same time, the defeat of Union Minister of State Somprakash’s wife Anita Somprakash in the elections has also put a question mark on Somprakash’s politics for the future. Apart from former MP Santokh Singh’s wife Karmjit Kaur, who left Congress and joined BJP, his son Bikram Chaudhary, MLA from Phillaur, has also not been able to show any magic. The situation is such that BJP lost from Phillaur by 34 thousand votes.
AAP’s path is difficult
The road ahead is going to be difficult for AAP. In the 2022 assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party won 92 out of 117 seats in the state with 42 percent votes. In just two and a quarter years, the party’s vote percentage fell to 26 percent. The party fielded five ministers and the same number of MLAs in the elections. Out of these, only one MLA has been able to register victory. It will be a big challenge for CM Mann to increase the graph of the party. Before the elections, party MP Sushil Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural have said goodbye to the party. Therefore, increasing the vote percentage of the party is a challenge for them.
Channi emerged as a strong leader in Doaba
The politics of Chaudhary and KP family is not easy in the future. Channi has emerged as a strong leader in Doaba as a big Dalit leader. After Amritpal Singh Khalsa, his lead is the highest. KP has been the head of Punjab. Apart from being an MP, KP could not save his deposit despite being a cabinet minister twice. He contested the election on the ticket of Akali Dal. Both the families were the center point of Dalit politics of Punjab and both have been marginalized.