Drastic decline in Congress support in Doaba and Malwa regions of Punjab

The Congress won a mere 9 out of the 65 seats at stake in Punjab's Malwa region. It lost 42 of the 49 seats it won in 1992.

Its candidates were placed second in 33 assembly constituencies and third in 12 constituencies.

The Congress faced a negative swing of more than 15 per cent votes in this region. The Akali Dal emerged with the largest support-base, polling about 41 per cent of the vote. The Congress polled 26 per cent of the vote while the Bahujan Samaj Party garnered just six per cent of the vote.

The Bharatiya Janata Party won five seats -- Abohar, Fazilka, Firozepur, Ludhiana (east) and Rajpura -- from the region. In 1992, it won four seats and had been the runner-up in 10 constituencies.

Among the prominent winners from the region were state BJP chief Balram Das Tandon (Rajpura). He defeated Congressman Inderjit Singh in a close contest by 1,100 votes. Tandon polled 42 per cent of the vote, while Singh was close behind with about 41 per cent of the vote. In 1992, the Congress defeated the BJP by 13,934 votes.

Outgoing chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal retained her Lehra Gagga seat, defeating Garja Singh (Akali Dal) by 11,000 votes. In 1992, she had won the seat by defeating the BJP candidate by 10,000 votes.

Akali Dal leader and Punjab Chief MInister Parkash Singh Badal won from two constituencies, Lambi and Qila Raipur. Akali Dal (Mann) chief Simranjit Singh Mann was relegated to the third position in Qila Raipur and was placed fourth in Sirhind.

In Abohar, Congress candidate Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, son of former Union minister Balram Jakhar, lost to Ram Kumar (BJP) by over 15,000 votes. In 1992, the Congress won this seat, defeating the BJP by a margin of 24,000 votes.

In Kotkapura, Congress candidate Joginder Singh, son of the late President Giani Zail Singh, was confined to the third slot. The seat was won by an Independent, Mantar Singh, an Akali rebel and son of former state minister Jasvinder Singh Brar. He defeated Mohinder Singh Brar of the Akali Dal by 15,600 votes.

The BSP, which won three seats in the region in 1992, drew a blank this year. In 1992, the party was the runner-up in 19 constituencies. This year, it could only come second in three constituencies.

The Akali Dal emerged as the largest party in the Doaba region polling about 29 per cent of the vote. Support for the Congress in the region declined from over 42 per cent of the vote in 1992 to about 26 per cent this year. The BSP, which registered losses throughout punjab, was placed third in Doaba with about 17 per cent of the vote.

Among the prominent winners from the region was outgoing transport minister Tej Parkash Singh, son of assassinated chief minister Beant Singh. He defeated Akali candidate Surjit Singh Minhas in Jalandhar cantt by a margin of over 3,600 votes. The Congress polled about 43 per cent votes, losing over 16 per cent of its 1992 votes in this constituency. In 1992, this seat was won by the Congress with about 59 per cent votes, against 26 per cent polled by the BSP.

From Phagwara, outgoing social welfare minister Joginder Singh Mann, nephew of former Union home minister Buta Singh, lost to BJP nominee Swarna Ram. The BJP, which lost this seat in 1992 by a margin of 720 votes, defeated the Congress this time by 26,623 votes. The BJP polled about 53 per cent votes in the constituency against barely about 25 per cent secured by the Congress.

The prestige of expelled Akali leader and former education minister Sukhjinder Singh suffered a severe jolt in Bholath constituency where his son Sukhpal Singh was defeated by Akali Jagir Kaur by a margin of over 28,000 votes.

In Sultanpur Lodhi Congress candidate Rajanvir Singh, son of slain Akali leader Balwant Singh, lost to Dr Upinderjit Kaur of the Akali Dal, daughter of senior Akali leader Atma Singh. She defeated the Congress nominee by about 22,000 votes. The Congress got over 33 per cent of the vote, while the Akali Dal polled about 60 per cent votes.

Among prominent losers from this region was Finance Minister Kewal Krishan. He lost to the BJP's Arunesh Kumar in Mukerian by over 19,000 votes.