Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: The fourteen-month-old Congress Government by winning the Shahkot by-polls thus now has a two-thirds majority in the state assembly, as the party candidate Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia won by a record margin of 38,802 votes.
The ruling party has increased its tally to 78 in the 117 strong state assembly. While the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has lost it’s strong bastion in the Doaba region and has thus been reduced to 14
MLAs in the assembly.
The Congress wrested the Shahkot from Akali Dal as it won this seat after a gap of twenty years. Ladi got 82,745 votes while Kohar of SAD polled in 43,944 votes. This seat was considered an Akali stronghold with the late Ajit Singh Kohar, father of Naib Singh Kohar's father, being elected from here five times. Naib was fielded by the Akali Dal from this seat expecting sympathy vote.
This bypoll was being considered as a referendum on the popularity of the Capt Amarinder Singh led Congress Government.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said the party's victory is a massive thumbs up to his government's development policies. "Now we have two-third majority in the assembly," he said.
Taking a dig at Akali Dal, he said that despite people giving them several chances, the Akalis never worked for them.
SAD candidate Naib Singh Kohar lost in his own village booth at Kohar Kalan. He alleged rigging of the EVM machines and also claimed the high-handedness by the government and bullying of sarpanches by
the police.
The seat fell vacant following the death of his father the sitting Shiromani Akali Dal legislator and former minister Ajit Singh Kohar in February this year. There were twelve candidates in the fray this time. A total of 76 per cent voting was reported on May 28. Punjab has a Congress government since March 2017.
