In a major upset in Punjab elections, most of the stalwarts had to bite the dust.
Those who lost the polls are SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, CaptAmarinder Singh, Sukhbir Badal and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi lost both from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal lost in Jalalabad. The SAD suffered its worst drubbing ever in the 102 years history of the party, winning just three seats in the Assembly elections, results of which were declared on Thursday. Its alliance partner — BSP — could bag just a single seat.
To add insult to injury, party stalwart and five-time CM Parkash Singh Badal lost from Lambi, which he had been winning since 1997. His son and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal lost from Jalalabad, which many said was a cakewalk for him.
Bikram Majithia, lodged in Patiala jail in a drugs case, came third in the Amritsar East constituency. From Amritsar East, PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Majithia lost to AAP’s Jeevan Jot Kaur.
After almost a decade, the Patiala power centre will shift from Moti Bagh Palace to the house of former Akali-turned-AAP leader Ajit Pal Kohli in Nihal Bagh. Known as the Congress stronghold, none of the ruling party or SAD leaders could register win, with all eight seats bagged by AAP candidates, who all are eager for a Vidhan Sabha debut.
In a major embarrassment to two-time Chief Minister and Congress rebel CaptAmarinder Singh, he lost to AAP’s greenhorn Kohli by 19,873 votes from his stronghold Patiala Urban, the seat he had won for four consecutive terms since 2002 when he first contested.
