Despite incidents of violence the previous night and hundreds of Electronic Voting Machines reporting glitches from several regions in the morning, Punjab on Saturday witnessed brisk polling with over 70% of the electorate exercising their franchise. While these are provisional figures, 78% voted in 2012.
There was a strong anti-incumbency mood against the Shiromani Akali Dal, with many stating that they have voted for a “change” this time.
Punjab has witnessed an electrifying triangular contest between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress and the new entrant Aam Aadmi Party, which is contesting its first Assembly elections here.
In fray are 1,145 candidates in the 117 constituencies, of which 34 are reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Punjab has the largest Dalit presence proportional to its population of any state with the community comprising of more than 30%. The state has a voter population of 1.9 crore.
The campaign, which drew to a close on Thursday evening, was hectic and colourful with the Congress and the AAP trying to dethrone the Akalis, who have been at the helm for two consecutive terms since 2007.
Machine glitches
Almost immediately after the polling began at 8 am, several booths across the state began reporting glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines. In Majitha constituency, where the controversial Akali leader Bikram Sigh Majithia is in the fray, multiple polling stations saw suspension of voting due to faults in the machines. This led to protests from AAP and Congress members in several pockets as they alleged they were not allowed inside when the machines were changed. A war of words also broke out between Akali and Congress candidates after the latter entered a polling booth in a car.
In Bhatinda city, reports of glitches in the voter-verified paper audit trail were reported, though they were set right almost immediately. The paper trail helps voters confirm that the vote was registered to the party for which they pressed the button on the machine. In all, the election commission is using 31,460 machines across the state at 22,614 polling stations.
However, voters in Bhatinda were initially reluctant to reach the booths in the morning as incidents of violence on Friday night disturbed the atmosphere in this area. The AAP’s youth coordinator Robin Brar was shot at when he tried to chase Akali Dal members who were allegedly distributing money in the area. The shot was fired at an Akali Dal leader’s house. The police have registered cases of attempt to murder.
While sporadic skirmishes between members of different parties were reported from different parts of the state, there was no major case of violence.
The polling picked up momentum after 9 am.
Triangular contest
For the first time in decades, Punjab has witnessed a triangular contest with the Aam Aadmi Party led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal fielding 112 candidates. The Congress is contesting in 116 seats whereas the SAD and the BJP, the ruling alliance, are in the fray in 94 and 23 seats respectively.
The campaign for the elections saw parties indulging in personal attacks against each other. Kejriwal turned the polls into a referendum on the “misrule” of the SAD’s first family led by Chief Prakash Singh Badal.
The 89-year-old patriarch is contesting from Lambi, a seat he has continuously held for two decades. However, the veteran has not had it easy this time with Congress chief ministerial candidate Amarinder Singh taking on the patriarch in his own backyard. Singh is also contesting from Patiala.
Another key contest is being fought in Jalalabad, where Deputy Chief Minister Sukbhir Singh Badal is contesting against AAP’s poster boy Bhagwant Mann. The junior Badal won the seat in 2012 with a margin of over 50,000 votes but has clearly struggled to continue the momentum against Mann, who some feel could become the chief minister if AAP wins a majority.
Opinion polls were split with some predicting a Congress win and some giving AAP the lead. However, most have suggested that the SAD could be on its way out in Punjab.
Clear class divide
At the polling stations on Saturday, a clear class divide was visible as also a strong anti-incumbency feeling.
While many among the educated and affluent backed the Congress, the AAP saw support from the poorer sections of both cities and villages.
Those who said they voted the Congress pointed to the lack of a strong leader in the AAP who could handle the administration with authority.
“We expected them to announce a chief ministerial candidate. We can’t take a chance,” said Balbir Singh, a school teacher in Faridkot who voted the Congress.
The question of experience in handling extremists was also a point made by many who chose the Congress. In this, they said Amarinder Singh was a better option.
However, as one moved into the rural pockets, there was palpable enthusiasm in voting for the Aam Aadmi Party.
“What’s wrong in giving them a chance? Let us see how they perform,” said Gulshan, a homemaker in Bhatinda.
Gulshan said the Congress and the SAD have ruled Punjab alternately for decades and were not much different from each other. Her reason for backing the AAP was spiraling inflation and the image of the SAD being corrupt.
In the farming heartland of Mansa, voters said the Akali Dal government had failed them. A widow of a farmer who committed suicide in 2015 said she had not received compensation yet despite several visits to the collector’s office. “They said my husband’s name was not on the list of those who committed suicide,” she added. The family was facing a severe financial crisis.
Farmers here said the AAP’s agriculture manifesto provided them with some confidence and they were hopeful that a new government will reduce their debt burden.
In Lambi, where Prakash Singh Badal is contesting, the voter loyalty looked split between the Akali Dal and the Congress. Here, most were reluctant to reveal who they voted for.
For both the Congress and the AAP, corruption was the biggest campaign point. All through, both Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh constantly reminded the people about the business empire of the Badals, which has expanded to several sectors including transport and education.
Wider repercussions
The election results in Punjab could have wider ramifications and a profound impact on the national stage.
For the Congress, which is struggling across India since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when it dropped to a historic low of wins in just 44 seats, winning its stronghold of Punjab will be crucial to revive its image and get back on track for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
For the Aam Aadmi Party, a win will help it shed the tag of being a single-state part confined to Delhi. This could pose a big challenge to the Congress as the AAP’s image as a viable alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party could receive a fillip and boost its chances in other states like Gujarat, which goes to polls later this year.
While opinion polls suggest the SAD-BJP combine could face a drubbing, to what extent their vote share depletes could have consequences for the next parliamentary elections in 2019. It may also have an impact on the Badal clan, with a big loss expected to put the leadership of the father-son duo under question mark.