Congress or SAD-BJP to head voter choices in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jan 21 (UNI) As in the 2002 assembly elections in Punjab, which saw 32 political parties in the fray, though only four (Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), its ally BJP and the CPI) could 'open their accounts' while the rest fared poorly, the next month's elections will see a large number of political parties -- national, regional, registered and unregistered -- in the electoral battle.

However, as in the past, the voters are expected, by and large, to confine their choices to the candidates of the Congress, the SAD-BJP combine and the Left parties.

In the last elections the Congress captured 62 of the 117 seats, the SAD 41, the BJP three and the CPI got two seats.

Independents emerged victorious in nine assembly segments. The BSP, CPM, Samajwadi Party (SP), Lok Janshakti Party, the various Janata Dal's and the NCP could not even secure a single seat.

Barring the SAD led by former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, the other splinter Akali factions including the ones led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann and former Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandik Committee (SGPC) chief, the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra could not even get a single seat in the last polls. In the current polls, a number of loyalists of Mr Tohra have joined Mr Badal and have even been given tickets.

Political parties which have a standing in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and a few other states, fared poorly in the last elections and the scene is expected to be the same in the February 13 polls. None of the political parties from UP or Bihar have so far cared to address the grievances of the migrant labourers from these two states, who are employed both in the agricultural and industrial sectors in Punjab.

In Ludhiana alone, about eight lakh migrants from UP and Bihar work in the hosiery, bicycle and other industrial units. Political leaders from these states often come to Punjab during the polls but make no serious efforts to woo the migrant labourers.

Interestingly, the Indian National Lok Dal of former Haryana Chief Minister O P Chautala -- which has a great influence in neighbouring Haryana -- has never entered the election arena in Punjab. Perhaps, this could be attributed to the close ties between the Badal and Chautala families.

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