Congress senior leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar lost to political greenhorn Arun Narang of the BJP. File photo

Chandigarh, March 11

Some cabinet ministers were among the several top leaders of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and its ally BJP who lost the assembly polls in Punjab where the Congress returned to power but not before a few of its senior leaders had a taste of defeat.While the Congress got a thumping win, rookie Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged a second, relegating the ruling SAD-BJP alliance to a poor third at the hustings.The Congress win was accompanied by a bitter experience as a few of its towering leaders failed to emerge victorious.Congress senior leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar lost to political greenhorn Arun Narang of the BJP from his pocket borough of Abohar.Another party veteran Mohinder Singh Kaypee failed to secure victory from the Adampur seat where he was defeated by Pawan Kumar Tinu of SAD.Businessman-turned-politician Kewal Dhillon of the Congress lost his traditional Barnala seat to Gurmeet Singh Meet of AAP.       Singer-turned-politician Mohammad Sadiq of the Congress lost from his bastion Jaitu to Baldev Singh of AAP.Another strong Congressman Jagmohan Singh Kang bit the dust after losing his traditional Kharar seat to journalist-turned-politician Kanwar Sandhu of AAP.State Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh failed to beat Akali heavyweight and five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi, a pocket borough of the Badal family.Amarinder, the chief ministerial face of the grand old party, had contested from Patiala as well as Lambi.Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal of the Congress lost out on luck in her traditional seat Lehragaga to SAD’s Parminder Singh Dhindsa.Former chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar’s daughter-in-law Karan Kaur of the Congress lost to Kanwarjit Singh of SAD.Congress firebrand leader Ajit Inder Singh Mofar lost to Dilraj Singh of SAD from Sardulgarh.The results were a shock for heavyweights of the SAD, including majority of the ministers, who failed to find favour with the electors.Cabinet minister Gulzar Singh Ranike of the SAD lost from Attari to Tarsem Singh of the Congress.Other cabinet ministers who failed to win included Tota Singh (Dharamkot), Janmeja Singh Sekhon (Maur), Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, a relative of Badal from Patti, Sikander Singh Maluka (Rampura Phul), Surjit Singh Rakhra (Samana) and Sohan Singh Thandal (Chhabewal).Other SAD senior leaders who turned unlucky included Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh, son-in-law of former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur (Bholath), Sucha Singh Langah (Dera Baba Nanak), Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, son of SAD MP Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura (Khadoor Sahib), Virsa Singh Valtoha (Khemkaran), Ajit Singh Shant (Mehal Kalan), Sewa Singh (Qadian) and Upinderjit Kaur (Sultanpur Lodhi).The BJP failed to provide the much-needed support to its ally SAD at the hustings as the party’s many top guns missing the shot at victory.BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh lost from Amritsar central to Congress stalwart OP Soni.Badal’s political adviser Tikshan Sud lost from Hoshiarpur to Sunder Sham Arora of Congress.BJP senior leader Arunesh Kumar lost his traditional Mukerian seat, while former Punjab BJP chief Ashwini Kumar lost to Amit of the Congress from his traditional seat Pathankot.

Several of the rookie Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) top guns also lost as the party ended a distant second in the assembly polls won by the Congress.

AAP finished second with 20 seats, but managed to relegate SAD-BJP alliance to third spot.

AAP’s campaign committee in-charge and party MP Bhagwant Mann, party convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi, journalist-turned- politician Jarnail Singh, legal cell in-charge Himmat Singh Shergill and Dr Balbir Singh lost in the polls.

Mann lost to Shiromani Akali Dal supremo and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad while Shergill lost to Bikram Singh Majithia from Majithia.

Incidentally, Jarnail Singh had quit as an MLA from Rajouri Garden assembly seat in Delhi to contest against Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh from Lambi.

Senior lawyer HS Phoolka, who has been fighting for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, AAP spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira, a former Congressman, journalist-turned-politician Kanwar Sandhu, trader cell incharge Aman Arora, Harpal Singh Cheema, Manjit Singh and Prof Baljinder Singh were among those who won their seats.

Taking everybody by surprise in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, AAP won four seats in the state. Later, the party suspended two of its MPs.

BSP, Left parties CPI and CPI (M), Apna Punjab Party and Trinamool Congress (TMC) failed to open their account.

Prominent winners

Amarinder Singh (Congress, Patiala Urban) Parkash Singh Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal, Lambi) Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD, Jalalabad)

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Congress, Amritsar East) Harvinder Singh Phoolka (AAP, Dakha)

Manpreet Badal (Congress, Bathinda)

Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, (Congress, Gidderbaha) Pargat Singh  (Congress, Jalandhar Cantt) Sukhpal Singh Khaira (Aam Aadmi Party, Bholath)

 

Prominent losers

Bhagwant Mann (AAP, Jalalabad)

Ravneet Singh Bittu (Congress, Jalalabad) Sunil Jakhar (Congress, Abohar)

Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Congress, Lehra)

Amarinder Singh (Congress, Lambi)

Kewal Dhillon, Industrialist (Congress, Barnala) Adarsh Pratap Singh Kairon (SAD, Patti)

Tota Singh, (SAD, Dharamkot)

Gen. J.J. Singh (retd) (SAD, Patiala) —  Agencies