The Congress retained the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. Punjab Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, Umrao Singh won the election with a lead of 1.16 lakh votes despite the fact that Yash, who was elected from there in February 1992 elections, had secured a lead of 1.13 lakh. The vital difference being that the previous elections were boycotted by Akalis and the voting percentage was merely 30% as against about 56% in this by-election. Apparently, the Beant Singh government has {failed to attract any sizeable number of additional votes, the large-scale rigging of votes by it’s notwithstanding.
A section of the Akali voters opted to keep off the election for they were sure that no Akali candidate was going to win the seat. Secondly, Sikh activists and Sikh student leaders could not participate freely in the election process as there was curfew like situation in whole of the constituency. Thirdly, supporters and sympathizers of the ongoing Sikh struggle remained dormant because of the unabated state repression Jet loose on them,
The elections were far from free and fair, And that is why, the Pioneer has to write in its editorial (May 21) that “all that Beant Singh has achieved is to sully the name of the Congress, which, ironically, ever since his Government came into office, was beginning to make a comeback and regain some credibility in the State, Singh and his party must learn lessons from the past.
It was the power games of the Congress which had contributed largely to the growth of militant secessionist movement in Punjab. The Beant Singh government has proved militants’ case that they could not get anything in a democratic way. This will certainly benefit the militant ideology. If the marauding element in politics is not checked, India would not be able to survive as democracy any more.
Akali Dal leader Badal was not disappointed by the defeat of his candidate but by the large-scale electoral malpractices in the poll at the hands of the ruling party. He reportedly alleged that Congress had won because of corrupt practices, including change of polling booths overnight and breaking of seals of ballot boxes. He also accuse the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for adopting double standard regarding misuse of official machinery in the by poll, The Kalka by poll had been cancelled on similar grounds. Many termed the Congress victory as murder of democracy.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 28, 1993
