Most of the traditional politicians in Punjab crashed at the hustings as the trends from the border state become clearer. Four time Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal lost in his bastion of Lambi which the party did not lose even in the Congress sweep 5 years ago. His son Sukhbir Badal was trailing in another family pocket borough of Jalalabad.
The Akali strongmen were reduced to 6 seats after their sepration from NDA and partner BJP. There newfound alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party of Mayavati failed misrably. Two time Congress Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who fell out with Rahul Gandhi just before the elections lost from Patiala - a former princely state which his forefathers held since 1761 until the state was abolished in 1947.
Captain Singh never lost an election in the state despite his hot and cold relationship with the Congress party. Incumbent Chief Minister Minister Charanjit Singh Channi lost both his seats in Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. By giving him ledaership in the state the Congress had hoped that the Dalit voters will rally behind him as he is the first Dalit CM in the state dominated by upper caste Sikhs. His arch rival within the party, Navjot Singh Sidhu too was trailing in Amritsar East, a traditional seat of the Congress party. Sidhu jockyed for the CM's chair very hard but was pipped to the post by Channi. Sidhu ridiculed his own CM candidate during the cmpaign and had to pay the price.
Head to Head with Sidhu in Amritsar East, Bikram Singh Majithia, a close aide to Sukhbir Singh Badal too had to eat humble pie. Bibi Jagir Kaur, Akali Dal leader and active in the functioning of the highest religious seat of the Sikhs- the Akal Takht - was also humbled in Bholath. Manpreet Singh Badal, the suave Finance Minister of the state who broke away from the his Badal clan to join hands with Capt Amarinder Singh was no exception in Bhatinda.
The clean sweep by AAP - which ran a cadre based campaign- sent all the bigwigs of Punjab to electoral trash can. Bhagwant Mann, former MP and close aide to Arvind Kejriwal in the state, was the last sardar standing.
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