Punjab witnessed a three-cornered contest between ruling SAD-BJP alliance, Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party.
Key contestants whose fate has been sealed include Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh in Patiala and Lambi seats, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in Jalalabad.
Punjab is divided into three major regions—Malwa, the largest, occupies the central and southern parts of the state and accounts for 69 of Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies. Doaba, the eastern flank, accounts for 23 seats and Majha on the West is home to 25 seats.
Captain Amarinder Singh will contest against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi assembly constituency.Presently, he is the sitting President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). He was also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the 16th Lok Sabha till 2016, having been chosen for the position after his election as a Member of Parliament from Amritsar, where he defeated the prominent BJP leader Arun Jaitley.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has represented the seat for four consecutive terms. He is locked in a triangular contest. Captain Amrinder Singh of Congress and Jarnail Singh of AAP. Both Jarnail and Captain contesting elections first time from this seat. Real fight is between Captain and Badal. Jarnail has been dubbed as an outsider.
Badal had said earlier that SAD-BJP alliance’s agenda aims to protect the interests of the state and ensure its development, unlike the Congress’ “divide and rule” policy.
Sukhbir Singh Badal was appointed Deputy Chief Minister in August 2009 after winning by-elections from Jalalabad Assembly Constituency. In Punjab polls 2017, Sukhbir Singh Badal is contesting from Jalalabad constituency.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who joined Congress recently, has been fielded from Amritsar East in Punjab assembly election.
Amritsar East constituency has been vacated by Sidhu's wife. She had contested election from a BJP ticket last time and now her husband is contesting on a Congress ticket. The probabilities of Sidhu winning the seat remains high since he has represented the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat thrice in the Parliament.
AAP's Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann is contesting election from Jalalabad which has been a Badal domain. He is contesting election from this seat first time.
