Political leaders eye 13 parliament seats in Punjab ahead of 2024 Elections

Political leaders from various parties in Punjab are closely monitoring the upcoming battle for the 13 parliamentary seats in the state, analyzing potential winners and losers. In the 2019 Parliament Elections, Congress emerged victorious in 8 seats, securing a significant 40.12 percent share of the total votes cast. The alliance between B.J.P. and S.A.D. (B) at that time yielded 4 seats with S.A.D. (B) obtaining a vote share of 27.76 percent and B.J.P. securing 9.63 percent. The Aam Adami Party claimed 1 seat with a 7.38 percent vote share, as per the data from the Election Commission of India. During this period, prominent Congress leaders, including Former Chief Minister Punjab Amarinder Singh and Sunil Kumar Jakhar, represented the party.

In the Punjab Assembly Elections of 2022, Capt Amarinder Singh distanced himself from the Congress, leading to a landslide victory for the Aam Adami Party, securing 92 seats with a 42.01 percent vote share. Congress won 18 seats with a 22.98 percent vote share, S.A.D. (B) secured 3 seats with an 18.38 percent vote share, B.J.P. claimed 2 seats with a 6.60 percent vote share, and B.S.P. secured 1 seat with a 1.77 percent vote share.

Following Bhagwant Mann's sworn-in as Chief Minister of Punjab, a by-election for the Sangrur Parliamentary Constituency was held in 2022. S.A.D. (Mann) secured 35.6 percent of the vote share, winning 1 seat. AAP secured 34.79 percent, Congress secured 11.21 percent, B.J.P. secured 9.33 percent, and S.A.D. (B) secured 6.25 percent of the total votes polled.

In the 2023 Jalandhar Parliament By-Election, the Aam Adami Party secured seat with a 34.05 percent vote share, Congress secured 27.44 percent, S.A.D. (B)-B.S.P. Alliance secured 17.85 percent, and B.J.P. secured 15.19 percent of the total votes polled. Both B.J.P. and S.A.D. (B) increased their vote share in this election, contesting independently after the Sangrur Parliament By-Election, where both parties had competed on their own symbols.

As the 2024 Parliament Election approaches, the question of whether political parties will contest independently, leading to multi-cornered contests, or if national parties will form alliances remains unanswered. Speculations about which party will join U.P.A. or N.D.A. are rife, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the alliances. Since the 2022 Parliament Sangrur By-Elections, both B.J.P. and S.A.D. (B) have seen a rise in their vote banks, signaling potential shifts in loyalties and strategies for the upcoming political game. The outcome of the number of seats won by each party will ultimately depend on the evolving "Theory of Alliance", making predictions challenging but not ruling out surprises in the dynamic political landscape.

Authored by: 
Rajat Kumar Mohindru,
Journalist,
Jalandhar City.