Fierce poll battle likely in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jan 30 (UNI) With the election picture having crystalised following withdrawals, a fierce electoral battle is on the anvil in the Punjab Assembly polls and Amritsar Parliamentary by-elections slated for February 13.

Although the withdrawals have mostly thrown up multi-cornered contests, the main tussle will be between the Congress and SAD-BJP alliance even as nominees of NCP, BSP, CPI, CPM and a vast army of independents are also contesting.

The Congress has put up candidates for all the 117 seats while the SAD has fielded 94 candidates and its ally BJP 23 candidates.

An electorate of 1,68,59,720, including 81,38,591 women, will decide the fortunes for 1039 candidates.

Prominent among those contesting the Assembly elections are: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) President Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Speaker Darbari Lal, Congress President S S Dullo, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann and former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Most of the sitting MLAs, including all ministers in the Amarinder Singh Government, are chancing their electoral fortunes.

Cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has locked horns with Finance Minister Surinder Singla in a multi-cornered contest in the Amritsar Parliamentary by-poll.

In the present Assembly, the Congress has a strength of 66 members, followed by SAD (40), BJP (two) and independents nine.

About 200 companies of paramilitary forces, including police personnel from other states, are being deployed to assist the state police for the smooth conduct of the polls.

A total of 16,745 polling stations, including 3065 sensitive and 1256 hyper sensitive booths, will be set up for voters to enable them to exercise their franchise.

Both the Congress and the SAD are faced with rebels who may diminish the prospects of official party candidates at the hustings.

The respective parties have already initiated action against these rebels.

The Congress and the SAD have a big stake in the elections. As the battle lines have been drawn, the election is likely to be crucial in certain Assembly segments where a neck-and-neck fight is expected.

The election will be a test for SAD to show if it had rebuild its faded image in the hearts of the people and for the Congress to prove acceptance of its policies and programmes.

The Congress released its manifesto yesterday, promising to resolve all pending inter-state disputes to the advantage of Punjab and to provide a transparent, accountable, responsive and corruption-free government. The SAD and the BJP will be releasing their manifestoes shortly.

Electioneering has started picking up and workers of political parties have fanned out in various constituencvies to convass support for their candidates. Flags, banners and wall posters are a common sight especially in cities and towns.

UNI