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Polls over, Sukhbir set to return to government
WSN Network

CHANDIGARH: Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal seems all set to take over once again as Deputy Chief Minister after he wins the Jalalabad Assembly bye-election, a result that seems to have become a foregone conclusion since the opposition Congress fought the polls in a half-hearted manner and the Akalis threw all that they had into it.

Polling to the three Assembly constituencies of Punjab on Monday witnessed around 75 per cent voter turnout, sealing the fate of Sukhbir and others.

Jalalabad, Kahnuwan and Banur saw an estimated 4.76 lakh voters exercising their voting right. According to the initial count, the poll percentages were 79 per cent in Kahnuwan, 75 per cent Jalalabad and 74 per cent in Banur.

Most political experts expect the Akali Dal to win all three seats. Thus Sewa Singh Sekhwan is likely to take Kahnuwan while late Captain Kanwaljit Singh's son Jasjit Singh Bunny is a favorite to win the Banur seat though Congress' Deepinder Singh Dhillon did gove him a tough fight.

The Banur segment set a new record with 74 per cent polling Apart from minor altercations at a few booths, the overall polling remained peaceful. However thousands of industrial work ers were unable to cast their vote, as several large-scale units remained open against Election Commission directions.

The stakes were high in these bypolls for the ruling SAD, with party president Sukhbir in the fray from Jalalabad in Ferozepur district. He had to resign as Deputy Chief Minister as he failed to enter the Assembly within the stipulated six months.

The Kahnuwan election recorded Assembly byelection recorded a high 80 per cent polling on Monday and passed off peacefully barring stray incidents of violence at a few polling booths.

5 August 2009
 

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