02-13-2007, 01:06 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Akalis have a clear edge </b>
Yogesh Vajpeyi | Jalandhar
Punjab Assembly Election 2007
Badal clouds Congress mood in State
After one of the bitterest electioneering in Punjab, the overcast skies seem to have blurred victory lines. Amidst fear of low turnout in Tuesday's polls, the fate of the two contenders of power, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is likely to be decided by only one factor. Who can get his supporters to the polling booths better?
Amidst claims and counterclaims by the rivals, punters give a slight edge to the Badal-led SAD-BJP combine in the 115 Assembly segments.
Akali Dal supporters see in their president Parkash Singh Badal's name - which translates into cloud in Hindi - fortuitous tidings for their party.
And it could well be that the 'badal' factor gives the ruling Congress a tough fight. While the rains would have an impact on the turnout, former Chief Minister Badal, who at 80 is taking his fourth shot at being the Chief Minister, is proving to be a formidable opponent.
But Amarinder Singh is not the one to give up without a fight. "The clouds and rain (these days) are good for the farmers. As for the other Badal (Akali leader), he will vanish in the wind," the Chief Minister told a TV channel.
Captain Amarinder is banking on his development plank - good roads, investment in the infrastructure and industrial sector of over Rs 1 trillion and other development works.
Despite <span style='color:red'>Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proving no crowd-puller and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's rallies being washed out, the Punjab Chief Minister spearheaded an aggressive campaign for the Congress.</span>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
But the Congress campaign appeared a little disorganised than that of the opposition alliance, where Badal and his son Sukhbir led from the front. The galaxy of BJP leaders with star power and former Haryana Chief Minister toiled to push up its prospects.
On the ground, it was one of the most acrimonious campaigns, with the rivals using words like thief, coward, cheat, pimp against each other. The accusations were hurled at public meetings and splashed through big advertisements in the media.
There was a strong element of personal hostility in the campaign as Badal and Amarinder criss-crossed the State in their helicopters over the last few days to woo voters.
Sukhbir Badal, who planned the entire Akali campaign this time, was quite abrasive about the Akali campaign. "Amarinder Singh has sold the interests of the State. We must throw out his corrupt Government," was his constant refrain.
<b>The electoral fight in the three main regions - Majha (comprising Amritsar and adjoining districts north of river Beas), Doaba (Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur and adjoining districts in the fertile land falling between Sutlej and Beas rivers) and Malwa (Bathinda and adjoining districts known as a cotton belt) </b>- is likely to go to the wire with no side particularly confident of winning hands down.
<b>The Akalis, however, have been claiming a landslide victory for their alliance .The party surely stands to gain from the Congress in the Majha and Doaba regions while the Congress is expected to win more seats in the cotton belt of Malwa.</b>
<b>Though there was no clear-cut Akali wave, party leaders feel the undercurrent is enough to see them through Feb 13.</b>
<b>The Akalis had won over 40 seats in 2002 when there was a popular wave against them. Both sides are now claiming that they will win nearly 70 of the 117 seats</b>.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In Doaba Congress will lose, last time they won with thin margin, now people are pretty upset, especially small scale industry and farmers.
Lets see when Arminder Singh will switch again.
Yogesh Vajpeyi | Jalandhar
Punjab Assembly Election 2007
Badal clouds Congress mood in State
After one of the bitterest electioneering in Punjab, the overcast skies seem to have blurred victory lines. Amidst fear of low turnout in Tuesday's polls, the fate of the two contenders of power, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is likely to be decided by only one factor. Who can get his supporters to the polling booths better?
Amidst claims and counterclaims by the rivals, punters give a slight edge to the Badal-led SAD-BJP combine in the 115 Assembly segments.
Akali Dal supporters see in their president Parkash Singh Badal's name - which translates into cloud in Hindi - fortuitous tidings for their party.
And it could well be that the 'badal' factor gives the ruling Congress a tough fight. While the rains would have an impact on the turnout, former Chief Minister Badal, who at 80 is taking his fourth shot at being the Chief Minister, is proving to be a formidable opponent.
But Amarinder Singh is not the one to give up without a fight. "The clouds and rain (these days) are good for the farmers. As for the other Badal (Akali leader), he will vanish in the wind," the Chief Minister told a TV channel.
Captain Amarinder is banking on his development plank - good roads, investment in the infrastructure and industrial sector of over Rs 1 trillion and other development works.
Despite <span style='color:red'>Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proving no crowd-puller and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's rallies being washed out, the Punjab Chief Minister spearheaded an aggressive campaign for the Congress.</span>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> But the Congress campaign appeared a little disorganised than that of the opposition alliance, where Badal and his son Sukhbir led from the front. The galaxy of BJP leaders with star power and former Haryana Chief Minister toiled to push up its prospects.
On the ground, it was one of the most acrimonious campaigns, with the rivals using words like thief, coward, cheat, pimp against each other. The accusations were hurled at public meetings and splashed through big advertisements in the media.
There was a strong element of personal hostility in the campaign as Badal and Amarinder criss-crossed the State in their helicopters over the last few days to woo voters.
Sukhbir Badal, who planned the entire Akali campaign this time, was quite abrasive about the Akali campaign. "Amarinder Singh has sold the interests of the State. We must throw out his corrupt Government," was his constant refrain.
<b>The electoral fight in the three main regions - Majha (comprising Amritsar and adjoining districts north of river Beas), Doaba (Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur and adjoining districts in the fertile land falling between Sutlej and Beas rivers) and Malwa (Bathinda and adjoining districts known as a cotton belt) </b>- is likely to go to the wire with no side particularly confident of winning hands down.
<b>The Akalis, however, have been claiming a landslide victory for their alliance .The party surely stands to gain from the Congress in the Majha and Doaba regions while the Congress is expected to win more seats in the cotton belt of Malwa.</b>
<b>Though there was no clear-cut Akali wave, party leaders feel the undercurrent is enough to see them through Feb 13.</b>
<b>The Akalis had won over 40 seats in 2002 when there was a popular wave against them. Both sides are now claiming that they will win nearly 70 of the 117 seats</b>.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In Doaba Congress will lose, last time they won with thin margin, now people are pretty upset, especially small scale industry and farmers.
Lets see when Arminder Singh will switch again.