Punjab assembly to be devoid of Badals after 30 years
After three decades, the Punjab state legislature will have no representation from the state's most powerful political dynasty, thanks to the Aam Aadmi Party's victory. The members of the Badal family that ran for state office in 2022 lost in their various strongholds. Notably, most of the heavyweights in Punjab politics have been beaten by AAP candidates.
Why does this story matter?
The Badals' party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), withdrew from its alliance with BJP in September 2020, breaking two-decade-long connections. Congress, which had been out of power in Punjab for a decade, won 77 seats, after defeating the SAD-BJP alliance in the 2017 Assembly elections. Parkash Singh Badal, now SAD patron, had defeated former chief minister Amarinder Singh from Congress at that time.
Badals lost to AAP's greenhorns
Parkash Singh Badal was defeated by Gurmeet Khudian from the Lambi seat, while his son and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal faced defeat in the Jalalabad seat. The senior Badal's son-in-law Adesh Partap Singh Kairon was defeated from Patti in the Tarn Taran district. Bikram Majithia, Sukhbir Badal's brother-in-law, and his estranged cousin Manpreet Badal, who stood on a Congress platform, both lost their seats.
Accept the mandate with humility: Sukhbir Badal
"We whole-heartedly and with total humility accept the mandate by Punjabis," Sukhbir Badal tweeted. "I am grateful to lakhs of Punjabis who placed their trust in us and to SAD-BSP workers for their selfless toil. We will continue to serve them with humility," he added.
Were Badals playing a "fixed match"?
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, a Congress firebrand who held his Gidderbaha constituency in Muktsar district, had reportedly said earlier that all Badals, including his party colleague, Manpreet Singh Badal, were playing a fixed match. Warring went on to say that he had even advised voters to vote out all Badals, including his colleague, from any election.
Results of Punjab assembly election 2022
Counting for the Punjab assembly elections began at 8 am on Thursday. The AAP has scored a sweeping majority in the state, with Bhagwant Mann set to become the next chief minister. SAD managed to win just three out of the state's 117 assembly seats, showing an even poorer performance than the 2017 elections when it won 15 seats in alliance with BJP.
