In the 2007 polls, the SAD-BJP again formed the government by winning 68 seats, but the alliance could win only 24 out of 65 seats of Malwa which was 36.92% seat share, while opposition Congress got 37 seats from Malwa to sit in opposition. (Representational) While Malwa has long been belived to hold the key to forming the government in Punjab given that it is home to 69 out of 117 seats in the state, a look at the past poll results since 2002 suggests that the state’s other two regions — Majha and Doaba — have been voting more decisively in favour of a single party.
In 2017 polls, Congress won 77 out of 117 seats but its strike rate in Malwa was 57.9% as it won 40 out of the region’s 69. In Malwa, AAP won 18 seats in 2017 on debut.
In the same state polls, Majha gave 22 out of 25 seats to Congress — a success rate of 88%, and Doaba gave the winning party 15 out of 23 seats, which comes to 65.22%.
Five years before in 2012 when Akali-BJP alliance won for the second consecutive time, they had 68 seats out of 117. The alliance’s performance in Malwa was 36 seats out of 69 which was 52.17% seat share, while in Majha, the alliance had got 16 seats out of 25 which was 68% seat share. Doaba, meanwhile, gave the SAD-BJP 16 seats (69.56% seat share) out of 23.
Till 2007 Assembly polls, Malwa had 65 seats, Majha had 27 and Doaba had 25 seats.
In the 2007 polls, the SAD-BJP again formed the government by winning 68 seats, but the alliance could win only 24 out of 65 seats of Malwa which was 36.92% seat share, while opposition Congress got 37 seats from Malwa to sit in opposition.
Majha, however, gave a landslide victory to SAD-BJP alliance where they won 24 out of 27 seats and thus getting 88.88% seat share while from Doaba too alliance got 21 out of 25 seats, netting 84% seat share.
Four out of five Independents were also elected from Malwa in 2007.
In 2002, Congress formed government by winning 62 seats where it got 29 out of 65 seats from Malwa in compared to SAD-BJP alliance which got 28.
This region had elected two CPI MLAs in the same year and 6 Independents too. Majha comparatively elected 17 out of 27 Congress MLAs in 2002, while Doaba gave 16 Congress MLAs out of 25 seats which was 62.96% and 64% seat share, respectively, for the ruling party.
“Badlaav slogan is the loudest always in Malwa area while Majha and Doaba have preferred to elect a single party/alliance which rules the state.
Perhaps this is the reason that many districts of Malwa are still having backward tag, they paid price of voting for change,” said Gurlabh Singh Mahal, Mansa-based advocate.
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