The much waited Punjab assembly elections 2017 started amidst chaos, intense campaigning and controversies today. We saw three major parties– SAD-BJP, Congress and AAP hurling out abuses at one another, trying to dash ahead in the rat race. In the first round of single phase polls, the average electoral turnout was 35% until 1pm in the afternoon. While the people of Punjab are busy deciding the fate of political parties this year, here’s a recap of mad craze that gripped the state.
Punjab Assembly Election Controversies: Who Abused whom, Who was Kicked?
- Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Flip Flop
Ex-cricketer and former BJP politician Sidhu was the talk of the town last month. The reason? After accusing Punjab Congress for eternity, Sidhu suddenly realised that he was a Congressi by birth. This realization didn’t sit well with the local Sikh population that criticized him for siding with ‘bloodthirsty murderers’ of Indian history.
- Stoned MP of AAP
Bhagwant Mann, MP from Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab turned up in a haggard, intoxicated state at Moga grain market. While addressing the rally, Mann blew flying kisses at the public for about 5 minutes. When asked to deliver a speech, poor Mann stumbled down and fell while raising from his chair.
Needless to say, an in-house controversy erupted within the party when Prashant Bhushan (Kejriwal’s former supporter) taunted Kejriwal for launching a groggy star campaigner for AAP.
- Shoe hurled at Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal
While campaigning in Ratta Khera constituency on January 11, a shoe was hurled at CM Parkash Singh Badal by a local villager. The accused, identified as Gurbachan Singh threw a shoe that hit Badal’s personal security guard and ultimately fell on Badal’s head. The accused staged this incident to put Badal in his place. This incident reflects that the rural population in Punjab is not very happy with Badal’s demeanour.
- Sukhbir Singh Badal’s ‘Accidental Confession’
Addressing a rally at Jalalabad, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal accidently called his own party, Siromani Akali Dal ‘the worst party in Punjab’. Though he later corrected himself, but the audience couldn’t help but laugh at this unintended ‘honest’ confession.
- Sukhbir Singh Badal Attacked
The rally at Jalalabad was not a lucky episode for Sukhbir Singh Badal. While on his way to the Kandwaal village, a mob of angry villagers pelted stones at the deputy CM. Though Badal fled from the scene in his protected car, the villagers chased the convoy and damaged their vehicles. Four of Badal’s supporters were badly injured in process.
- Manish Sisodia laid out his Game Plan
Speaking at a rally in Mohali on 10 January, Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia’s statement stirred up a controversy when he urged Punjab voters to vote for Arvind Kejriwal as their CM candidate. But, Kejriwal was quick to address this situation, he assured the people that AAP will launch a local candidate for the chief ministerial position in Punjab.
- The List of Richest MPs is out
An anonymous survey report revealed a shocking truth regarding various MPs contesting in Punjab elections. Out of the 1145 candidates, about 428 candidates are millionaires with undisclosed income. We did expect this from older parties like SAD and Congress, but it was surprising that 71 out of 117 candidates in AAP were on the rich-list. Well, now we can say that AAP isn’t about the common man anymore.
So, this pretty much sums up all the controversies involving Punjab elections this year. The entire nation looks forward to the D-Day now.
