After 38 years, Cong wrests Panthic seat
Friday, 24/05/2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/after-38-years-cong-wrests-panthic-seat/777488.html
Chandigarh : The Congress wrested the Panthic seat of Khadoor Sahib from the SAD after 38 years, with party candidate Jasbir Singh Dimpa turning victorious by polling 4,59,710 of total 10,46,032 votes.
Bibi Jagir Kaur of the SAD bagged 3,19,137 votes and PDA’s Paramjit Kaur Khalra got 2,14,489 votes.
Dimpa was the favourite candidate to win the seat as for the first time in the constituency’s history, the Congress was representing all nine Assembly constituencies in the Lok Sabha seat. Dimpa rode high on active campaigning in his favour by party MLAs. He had promised developing a tourist circuit in the area which included Harike wetland and border tourism.
Dimpa carried a victory march in several regions and paid obeisance at Baba Budda Sahib Bir Gurdwara.
The electioneering to this seat had attracted international interest due to the candidature of Khalra. Her husband Jaswant Singh Khalra was killed by the Punjab Police for raking up human rights abuse leading to fake encounter deaths of nearly 25,000 youth. Her campaign was supported by several foreign-based groups also.
Khalra’s defeat spells trouble for the fledgling Akali Dal (Taksali) led by ex-MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura. As Jagir Kaur polled more votes than her, the Taksalis will have to do a soul-searching for their future survival.
