The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday stormed Punjab, winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats, decimating the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine and making leaders like CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh bite the dust.
While AAP bagged three-fourth of the seats, the Congress won 18, SAD 3, BJP 2 and BSP 1. An Independent also emerged victorious. AAP will now form its second government in the country after the one led by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.
BIGGEST WINNERS
1. Bhagwant Mann, AAP state president, won by Dhuri seat by about 58,000 votes defeating Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy.
2. Aman Arora, second time AAP MLA from Sunam, won by 75,000 defeating Jaswinder Singh Dhiman of Congress.
3. Harpal Cheema, AAP, leader of opposition, and sitting MLA from Dirba won by 47,000 votes defeating SAD’s Gulzar Singh Moonak.
4. Ashwani Sharma, BJP, state president, won by 7,000 votes defeating Congress’ Amit Vij from Pathankot.
5. Manpreet Singh Ayali, SAD’s two-time MLA from Dakha won with a margin of 5,000 votes defeating Congress’ Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu.
6. Congress’ Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former minister, won with a margin of 1,200 from Gidderbaha seat, defeating SAD’s Hardeep Singh Dhillon.
7. Congress’ Sukhpal Khaira won with a margin of about 8,000 defeating SAD’s senior leader Bibi Jagir Kaur.
BIGGEST LOSERS
1. Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress CM face, lost both his seats – Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib against Labh Singh Ugoke (Bhadaur – margin about 37,000 votes) and Charanjit Singh (Chamkaur Sahib – margin about 7,000 votes) respectively.
2. Parkash Singh Badal, SAD supremo, lost on his home turf Lambi to AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Khudian (margin about 11,000).
3. Capt Amarinder Singh, former two-time Congress CM and founder of Punjab Lok Congress, lost on his home turf Patiala to AAP’s Ajit Pal Singh Kohli (margin 17,000).
4. Sukhbir Badal, SAD chief and former deputy CM, lost on his home turf Jalalabad to AAP’s Jagdeep Kamboj of AAP (margin 29,000).
5. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress president, lost on his home turf Amritsar (east) to AAP’s Jeevan Jyot Kaur (margin 6,000).
6. SAD’s firebrand leader Bikram Singh Majithia lost to Jeevan Jyot Kaur in Amritsar east (margin 13,000).
7. Sr Badal’s nephew and Congress’ senior leader Manpreet Badal lost to AAP’s Jagroop Singh Gill (margin about 61,000 votes).
