SSM chief Rajewal loses security deposit

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, March 12

Buoyed over the success of the year-long farmers’ agitation that had forced the Centre to withdraw the three contentious farm laws, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) supremo Balbir Singh Rajewal had thrown his hat into the political ring but only to lose even his security deposit during the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls from Samrala, his home town in Ludhiana district.

So much so, the Chief Ministerial candidate of the SSM, which was a conglomerate of 19 farm unions, and founder of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal faction), ended poor sixth by polling mere 4,676 votes, which accounted for 3.5 per cent of the total 1,33,524 votes polled as the first-timer, Jagtar Singh Diyalpura, of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scripted history by winning Samrala, which since its inception in 1951 was either won by the Congress or the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Not only Rajewal but also sitting four-time Congress MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon, who had rebelled after being denied the party ticket and fought as an Independent, also lost his security deposit by polling just 7,693 votes, constituting 5.76 per cent of the total votes polled.

Surprisingly, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Varinder Singh Sekhon secured 8,328 votes, accounting for 6.24 per cent vote share, and fared better than both Rajewal and Dhillon.

Diyalpura (41), who runs mushroom and poultry farms, polled 57,557 votes, constituting 43.11 per cent vote share, while Paramjit Singh Dhillon (39) of the SAD got 26,667 votes, accounting for 19.97 per cent vote share. Congress nominee Rupinder Singh Raja Gill (47), son of former Punjab minister Karam Singh Gill, who had represented Samrala twice in 1992 and 1980, secured 23,368 votes, constituting 17.5 per cent vote share.

Rest all other eight candidates, including Ranjit Singh Gahlewal (50) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which contested Samrala for the first time, also lost their security deposits by polling even less than 16.67 per cent of the total polled votes, required for getting refunded Rs 10,000 deposited by each contestant as security along with the nomination paper.

Congress fared worst

The Congress gave its worst-ever performance by polling the lowest-ever vote share of 17.5 per cent in 2022. The party had got 38.77 per cent votes in 2017, 44.71 per cent in 2012, 39.89 in 2007, 50.57 in 2002, 45.94 in 1997, 55.47 in 1992, 41.63 in 1985, 45.37 in 1980, 41.67 in 1969, 37.18 in 1967, 39.93 in 1962, 25.68 in 1957 and 20.9 per cent in 1951.

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