GIDDERBAHA: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has won the Gidderbaha by-election, the result of which was declared here last week.
The Akali Dal candidate, Manpreet Singh Badal, defeated his nearest Congress rival, Deepak Kumar, by a margin of 2,117 votes while all the 11 independent candidates have lost their deposits. Therebel Akalileader Badal obtained only 2,4226 votes.
The Gidderbaha election was considered crucial test for the Shiromani Akali Dal president, Parkash Singh Badal and the PPCC president and the Chief Minister, Beant Singh, as the prestige of the old war horses was at stake immediately after the declaration of the result. Badal addressed a press conference and demanded resignation of Beant Singh on moral grounds, He said that the Congress had used ‘Official machinery with impunity, violated the model code of conduct, threatened government employees and. purchased the votes with money in this election.
The Gidderbaha election has brought the Shiromani Akali Dal back into reckoning.
Manpreet Singh, however, neutralized the lead in the 7th round. The ‘Akali candidate got a load of 40 votes in this round and continued to gain in the remaining three rounds. The Congress candidate polled 48,289 votes against 50,406 of the winning candidate.
The Shiromani Akali Dal took out a victory procession in the town. Manpreet Singh, Badal and other party leaders while standing in an open jeep were greeted by local residents and party supporters. _ Badal and other leaders first went to a local temple and then to a gurdwara to pay obeisance there. The slogans of “Punjabi Ekta” and “Shiromani Akali Dal seated were raised as the members of both communities danced to the beat of a drum.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 16, 1995
