CHANDIGARH: The Akali party has been routed while the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the single largest party in Amritsar and Ludhiana and the Congress-1 in Jalandhar in the municipal corporation elections held on the eve of parliamentary and assembly elections in Punjab.
None of the parties have been able to secure absolute majority and independents are likely to play a key role in the election of mayors of the three corporations.
The Akalis many of them supported by the AISSF (Manjit) in Amritsar drew a blank. Of the total SO seats the BJP won 17 Cong-I 15 the Communist Party of India three the Communist Party of India (Marxist) three the Janata Dal one and independents 14.
In Jalandhar too the Akalis failed to get even a single seat out of total of 43. The Congress-I emerged as the single largest party winning 15 seats the BJP 13 Bahujan Samaj part 2 and independents 13.
The Akalis had some saving grace in Ludhiana. Of the total 50 Stats results of 44 had been announced and the Akalis had bagged 12. The BJP won as the single largest party with 15 seats Congress-I 12 BSP and one independents four.
Repoll has been ordered for one Seat while the results of three seats are yet to come in Polling in two wards has been deferred till May 5 because of court cases.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 3, 1991
