Punjab Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: AAP's key losses, surprising outcomes, rejection of parachute candidates and more...
Punjab Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: In a dramatic turn of events, the Punjab Lok Sabha Elections 2024 saw significant political figures and high-profile candidates facing unexpected defeats. Among those who were unseated were four Cabinet ministers, four MLAs, and prominent personalities, including singers and political turncoats.
Setback to Cabinet Ministers
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had a rough outing, with four out of the five Cabinet ministers it fielded as candidates losing their seats. Among them, the only minister who secured a win was Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur, who triumphed over Congress' Sukhpal Khera by a substantial margin of 1,72,560 votes.
Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, the Agriculture Minister, was defeated in Bathinda by Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by 50,000 votes. Khuddian's campaign was notable for his confident claims of defeating Harsimrat Kaur Badal which ultimately did not materialise.
Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar lost to independent candidate Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib. Interestingly, Bhullar also trailed behind Congress’s Kulbir Zira.
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, the NRI Affairs Minister, was defeated in Amritsar by Congress’ Gurjeet Singh Aujla by a margin of 40,301 votes. Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh was defeated by Congress' Dr Dharamvir Gandhi from Patiala by a margin of 14,831 votes.
Among AAP's sitting MLAs, several key figures faced defeats:
Ashok Parashar Pappi from Ludhiana Central lost to Congress’s Raja Warring . Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi was defeated by Sukhjinder Randhawa of the Congress. Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar narrowly lost by 3,242 votes to Congress’s Sher Singh Ghubaya.
While Congress celebrated some victories, including heavyweights like Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Randhawa winning their respective seats, the party also saw key losses.
The elections were particularly harsh on political turncoats: Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who switched to Congress from AAP, was defeated by AAP’s Meet Hayer in Sangrur. Gurpreet GP, who defected from Congress to AAP, lost to Congress’s Dr Amar Singh in Fatehgarh Sahib.
Preneet Kaur, former Congress leader who contested from Patiala on BJP ticket, was placed third, losing to Congress’s Dr Dharamvir Gandhi. Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, who moved from Congress to BJP, was defeated in Ferozepur. Pawan Tinu, a former SAD member who joined AAP, lost in Jalandhar.
The election results also saw the defeat of notable public figures, including two singers: Karamjit Anmol, a close aide of AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, was defeated in Faridkot. Hans Raj Hans, who contested from Gurdaspur, failed to secure a win.
The results highlight a clear message from the voters: a rejection of parachute candidates and political turncoats. The electorate's preference for stability and their skepticism towards last-minute party switchers were evident. Despite AAP's efforts, the party faced significant setbacks, particularly with its high-profile candidates and ministers losing their seats. Meanwhile, the Congress managed to retain some of its strongholds, although it too saw losses among its turncoat candidates.
- PTC NEWS
