Punjab Elections 2012: SAD-BJP Shiromani Akali Dal

Shiromani Akali Dal is all set to create history in Punjab. The party, along with its ally BJP, is cruising to victory, bucking anti-incumbency for the first time in the state’s electoral history. The SAD-BJP alliance is leading in over 68 seats out of the total 117 assembly constituencies.

The Congress has caught up and is leading in about 46 assembly constituencies while Independents were leading in three constituencies of Mukerian and Amargarh, according to trends available so far.

Though the sprawling houses of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal are situated only two kilometres apart in the Badal village, but they represented a contrasted look on Tuesday. According to the results declared so far, PPP has failed to lead in any of the 117 seats.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh has retained the Patiala constituency by defeating ruling SAD’s Surjit Singh Kohli by a margin of 42,318 votes.

Anticipating the win, supporters of Akali Dal had converged outside the Badal house and were seen thumping on the beats of Punjabi dhol, at regular intervals.

“There would be a big celebration, once the results are officially announced,” said Jagtar Singh, one of the staunch supporters of Akali Dal, at Badal village.

Rebel Manpreet Badal Punjab has been rejected by the electorate of the state losing both his seats, including Gidderbaha, a seat he has been winning for four terms.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that emerging results in Punjab, where it was trailing behind the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, were “extremely baffling”.

Gulzar Singh Ranike of SAD defeats Tarsem Singh of Congress by a margin of 4983 votes in Attari (SC) seat. Rajpura, Hardial Singh of Congress beats BJP’s Raj Khurana by a margin of 31,510 votes. SAD’s Nand Lal beats Tarsem Singh of the Congress by a margin of 4983 votes from Balachaur constituency.