Except for Simranjit Singh Mann, the chief of SAD (Amritsar) (Mann), no candidate backed by Bargari Insaf Morcha could get votes in five digits. (Express Photo by Pavan Khengre)The candidates backed by Bargari Insaf Morcha ended up losing their security deposits in this Lok Sabha elections in Punjab and eventually found themselves largely competing with independent candidates and nominees of low profile parties, the latter performing better in few seats.
Led by parallel jathedar of Akal Takht and former Member of Parliament Dhian Singh Mand, the Bargari Insaf Morcha was at the forefront, targeting Shiromani Akali Dal and Badal family members over the issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and death of two protestors in police firing in 2015 during SAD-BJP combine rule in Punjab.
Except for Simranjit Singh Mann, the chief of SAD (Amritsar) (Mann), no candidate backed by Bargari Insaf Morcha could get votes in five digits. Mann performed best, securing 48,365 votes out of total 1105888 polled in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency. The votes Mann got, however, were not enough for him to save his security deposit. A candidate has to part with Rs 25000 as security deposit to contest Lok Sabha election. To prevent forfeiture of the deposit, a candidate needs to get at least one sixth of the total votes polled which translates into 16.67 percent of the total polled votes. Falling well over 12 percent short to save security deposit, Mann finished fourth in the constituency with his nearest rival Jasraj Singh Longia of Lok Insaf Party polling 20,087 votes. Bhagwant Mann, who won, polled 41,3561 votes.
In Bathinda, Gursewak Singh who was nominee of Mann’s party and had the support of Bargari Insaf Morcha secured 3,820 votes (0.32 per cent) out of total 12,00,810 votes polled. Two independent candidates, Surjeet Singh and Harpal Singh, fared better than Gursewak Singh, polling 5,872 and 4,627 votes, respectively, and so did Swarn Singh Dhaliwal of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) who got 5106 votes and Bhagwant Singh Samaon of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) who got 5381 votes. Gursewak Singh’s nearest rivals who got votes lesser than him was independent candidate Kartar Singh (2,978).
Bargari Insaf Morcha backed candidate in Faridkot could not do well either. Faridkot was the epicentre of incidents of sacrilege and death of two protestors in 2015. Apna Samaj Party candidate Dr Swarn Singh, who the Morcha supported, could get only 3,678 (0.38 per cent) of the total polled 9,74,947 votes. Ajay Kumar of Indian Democratic Republican Front did better than Singh, polling 6106 votes and so did an independent candidate, Jaswinder Singh (4,912). The nearest rivals of Singh, who got votes lesser than him were Dr Daljit Singh Chauhan of Nationalist Congress Party (3585 votes) and Bhola Singh of Bharatiya Lok Seva Dal (3462 votes).
In Ferozepur, Morcha backed candidate Jatinder Singh Thind, who contested as an independent, polled 6804 (0.58 per cent) of the total 11,72,033 votes polled.
