Punjab polls | Once a Congress stronghold, Payal swept by AAP juggernaut
In a major setback, Congress lost Payal, one of its strongest bastions, to the Aam Aadmi Party juggernaut in the Punjab assembly polls; Congress’ Lakhvir Singh Lakha lost to AAP’s Manwinder Singh Giaspura
In a major setback, Congress lost Payal, one of its strongest bastions, to the Aam Aadmi Party juggernaut.
This Congress stronghold, which sent former chief minister Beant Singh to the assembly four times and his son Tej Parkash Singh to the assembly two times, fell to the AAP with the party’s sitting MLA Lakhvir Singh Lakha losing to Manwinder Singh Giaspura.
Lakha is known to be close to Beant Singh’s family, which is why he got the chance to contest the 2017 assembly elections. There was a strong anti incumbency in the constituency over lack of development, and it was alleged that Lakha’s aides were involved in embezzlement and would threaten people.
Lakha lost with a margin of at least 33,000 votes, while in the 2017 assembly election he had won with a margin of 21,000 votes against Gurpreet Singh Lapran of the Aam Aadmi Party.
The seat remained a bastion of the Congress since 1967. Beant Singh won from the seat in 1969, 1972, 1977 and 1980. His son Tej Parkash Singh had won from Payal in 2002 and 2007, and had also been transport minister.
Congress had earlier lost the seat in 1985 to Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Devinder Singh; in 1997 to SAD candidate Sadhu Singh and in 2012 to SAD candidate Charanjit Singh Atwal.
