Congress set for a repeat in Punjab, ahead in 7 of 13 seats

THE CONGRESS looks set for a big win in Punjab, leading in seven out of 13 Lok Sabha seats. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an ally of the Congress at the national level as part of INDIA, is ahead in three seats.

Two seats may have surprise winners – the jailed Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib; and Sarabjit Singh, the son of former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh, from Faridkot.

The Shiromani Akali Dal is headed for another poor performance, leading in only one seat, its home turf of Bathinda, where former Deputy Chief Minister and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is leading.

Its sitting MP Prem Singh Chandumajra is trailing at fourth position from Anandpur Sahib.

In 2019, the Congress had won eight seats, the Akali Dal and BJP (which had fought together) two each, while one seat had been won by the AAP.

While the Congress is leading in Amritsar (G S Aujla), Gurdaspur (Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa), Fatehgarh Sahib (Dr Amar Singh), Ferozepur (Sher Singh Ghubaya), Jalandhar (Charanjit Singh Channi), Ludhiana (PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring) and Patiala (Dr Dharamvira Gandhi), it is No. 2 in three other seats, and No. 3 in three seats.

The AAP is leading in three seats – Sangrur, where state Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has taken a huge lead, of 1.9 lakh votes; Anandpur Sahib, where party spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang is contesting; and in Hoshiarpur, where turncoat Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal is contesting. The AAP is No. 2 in four seats and No. 3 in 6.

The BJP, which was contesting the first Lok Sabha elections after its split from former ally Akali Dal, is not leading in any of the 13 seats.

In five seats, the BJP is No. 2, including