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Chandigarh: Having
spent nearly a month relaxing, completing pending work and even
lobbying for ministerial berths, politicians in Punjab are now
readying themselves for Tuesday's counting of votes and results to
117 assembly seats that went to polls Jan 30.
Despite claims of impending victory by the ruling Shiromani Akali
Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance and the Congress, things
on the ground remain quite uncertain for both sides as the
election took place sans any wave in favour or against anyone.
The guessing game has of course been compounded by the exit polls
of various agencies and news channels. While most of them are
giving the Congress an edge to form the next government in the
state, the Akalis are not willing to give up without a fight yet.
"The exit poll results last time had gone for a toss. The Akali
Dal will create history in Punjab by coming to power for a second
consecutive term," an upbeat Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh
Badal, who is also the deputy chief minister, said.
Sukhbir Badal had been holidaying in South Africa with his family
in recent days.
Having led the party's campaign from the front this time on his
own instead of relying on his chief minister father Parkash Singh
Badal, Sukhbir is expecting 75-80 seats for the Akali Dal-BJP
alliance. The Akalis had won 48 seats in the 2007 elections.
The BJP, though, is keeping its fingers crossed about the results.
It is the showing of the BJP which could eventually be a deciding
factor for the formation of the new government. In the 2007
assembly poll, the BJP had won 19 assembly seats.
Congress leaders are quite upbeat that a government led by state
Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh will
be in place next week itself. Ministerial aspirants and
bureaucrats and officials eyeing key positions have been meeting
him regularly.
Many hopefuls have been seen around Amarinder, who has mostly been
in Chandigarh and Delhi in recent days. Some of them have been
hosting private dinners for him.
"We will win at least 70 seats this time. We will put Punjab back
on the path of development," Amarinder Singh said here.
The Congress had 44 legislators in the outgoing assembly.
Whatever be the take of these two sides, the uncertainty is also
owing to the fact as to how deep a dent the third front led by
former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and his People's
Party of Punjab (PPP) will make.
Though mostly people are expecting Manpreet's PPP to damage the
Akali Dal more, since he is the estranged nephew of Chief Minister
Badal, PPP has been able to draw the attention of youth voters in
Punjab's hinterland and towns.
"The youthful and clean image of PPP president Manpreet Badal has
clicked with the electorate, especially young voters. The results
will be a shocker for everyone," a senior PPP leader said.
PPP had tied up with the Communist parties, CPI and CPI-M, and
others like Akali Dal (Longowal) to put up a third front in these
elections.
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