AJNALA: Former Akall legislator and Dal (Badal) candidate Rattan Singh won the Ajnala Assembly seat by a margin of 10,564 votes defeating his nearest rival the Congress candidate Rajbir Singh at the end of the sixth round of counting here last week
In February 1992 election held under the shadow of terrorism only 12717 votes were cast by a total electorate of 1.14 lakh. In the absence of the Akalis who had boycotted the polls Rajbir Singh s fatter Harcharan Singh Ajnala had emerged victorious by a margin of over 5000 votes.
In the 1985 polls Rattan Singh made his debut in the Punjab Assembly by crushing the Congress nominee Ajaib Singh Bagga by more than 20000 votes. The Con press has won this seat on six occasions while the Akalis have been Victorious in 1977 and 1985. In 1977 the Akali nominee late Shashpal Singh wrested the scat by defeating Harcharan Singh Prior to the1977 poll the Akalis had been supporting the CPM candidate in this Assembly segment.
Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Majitha who is presently a presidium member of the Dal (Badal) too had won from Ajnala as an independent while Dalip Singh Tapiala had wrested this seat in 1967 as a CPM candidate supported by the Akalis Tapiala was the first to break the Congress monopoly when he defeated the Congress nominee late Ishar Singh Majal who had also remained the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) during his term with the Akalis
Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994
