Stakes high for royal family in Patiala

Monday, 25/08/2014

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

PATIALA: With the results for the Patiala Urban bypoll set to be declared on Monday, the stakes are high for both the Patiala’s royal family and the ruling Akali-BJP alliance as the result is expected to be a game-changer, irrespective of whose favour it may be.

If Akali-BJP emerge victors, it will be a big blow to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his wife and Congress candidate Preneet Kaur, whose home bastion is Patiala. On the other hand, a victory for the Congress would end the SAD’s bypoll success for the first time in the Panthic party’s eight-year regime.

While Amarinder’s wife and former union minister was the Congress candidate, the SAD fielded a Hindu nominee Bhgawan Dass Juneja. The Aam Aadmi Party candidate was Harjit Singh Adaltiwala.

Sensing the importance of the bypoll, the chief minister and deputy CM had personally campaigned for the SAD candidate while Amritsar MP Captain Amarinder Singh, former union minister Manish Tewari campaigned for the Congress. Amarinder had even camped in the city for almost 15 days.

The AAP too brought in national convener Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia for the poll campaign. However, the 59.17% voter turnout was not as high as anticipated by the parties. This has left all parties and candidates worried, as they admit that the lesser turnout indicates the public’s disillusionment with the parties.

The city’s non-development and lack of basic amenities were the main reasons for the low turnout, said a poll observer. “In the last seven and half years of the SAD’s rule, the city has failed to witness any development. So, voters ere not keen about the SAD. But, Preneet also failed to bring any project to the city in spite of having been the MP for 15 years.

The AAP candidate was also not a charismatic person. So, voters did not turn up to vote. This was the first bypoll in Punjab with such a low polling percentage,” said a party leader requesting anonymity. Meanwhile, the AAP has blamed the Congress and the Akali Dal for the low turnout. AAP MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi said that voters were intimidated by both SAD and Congress workers and did not come to vote. He said the AAP workers were threatened.

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