With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, Punjab’s hotspot Patiala is bracing up for a strong four-cornered fight between major political parties. The city has become the hotseat because of high-profile candidates who will be fighting elections from this constituency.
Former Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh’s family has always had a stronghold in Patiala. His wife Preneet Kaur is the only candidate who has won election from this constituency thrice i.e. in year 2004, 2009 and 2019. This time Preneet Kaur has joined hands with BJP and will be contesting election from its side. This is after 21 years that BJP will be fighting assembly election without any alliance. For the unversed, it was in 1997 that BJP formed alliance with SAD and till 2019 they contested election together. Post 2019, this is the first time that BJP and SAD will contesting solo in assembly election.
Talking about Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab’s Health minister Dr. Balbir Sidhu will be contesting elections. The party has performed quite well in Patiala during previous Assembly Elections which took place in year 2022.
After Preneet Kaur joined hands with BJP, Congress announced Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi as their candidate from Patiala constituency. Dharamvir Gandhi has once defeated Preneet Kaur who is considered the strongest candidate from Patiala constituency. Dharamvir Gandhi was earlier a member of Aam Aadmi Party but left it due to certain differences with AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal. As per reports, there is also an internal conflict going on inside party after Dharamvir Gandhi was announced for contesting LS elections.
Zirakpur Ex-MLA and builder NK Sharma will be contesting election from Shiromani Akali Dal. Although, he was not the first choice for this candidature but as many other members refused to fight in election, he was chosen. Even, for SAD it has been a long time, since the party has contested elections without any alliance.
Parties’ Strategies for Lok Sabha 2024 Election
This would be the very first time that Patiala will see four-cornered election after many years. This time all major political parties namely BJP, AAP, SAD and Congress will be contesting solely without any alliance for the seat.
After BJP chose Preneet Kaur as their candidate, Capt. Amarinder Singh has requested Home Minister Amit Shah to conduct a rally of PM Narendra Modi as it can be of great impact. Health Minister Dr. Balbir Sidhu will be contesting election from AAP, there are chances that Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann might conduct a road show or there is even possibility of Sunita Kejriwal, wife of AAP Supremo staging a rally in Patiala. Congress might also be planning to carry out a rally of Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi. This can also be an effort to solve the internal conflicts going on in the party. As per sources, N.K. Sharma who is contesting from SAD is an influential person and might call a Punjabi celebrity to be the face of their campaign.
Patiala has in total 2077 polling station. The constituency consists of 9,35,238 male, 8,52,433 female and 76 transgenders making a total of 1787747 voters. Talking about previous victors from Patiala constituency, Preneet Kaur has won the seat in 2004, 2009 and 2019. Dharamvir Gandhi also once defeated Preneet Kaur and won in the year 2014.