Patiala Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress' Dharamvir Gandhi Wields the Edge Against BJP's Royal Face Preneet Kaur

The Patiala Lok Sabha constituency, one of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, is a General category seat. It encompasses the entire Patiala district and part of the S.A.S. Nagar district. The constituency includes nine Legislative Assembly segments: Nabha (SC), Patiala Rural, Rajpura, Dera Bassi, Ghanaur, Sanour, Patiala, Samana, and Shutrana (SC).

Current MP: Preneet Kaur

Candidates: Preneet Kaur (BJP), Dr Dharamvir Gandhi (Congress), Balbir Singh (AAP), NK Sharma (Shiromani Akali Dal)

Polling Date: Phase 7, June 1, 2024

Political Dynamics

• It’s a tight quadrilateral contest in Patiala, with the Congress’ Dharamvir Gandhi wielding the edge against sitting MP Preneet Kaur, who is vying for a second consecutive term on a BJP ticket, and the Aam Aadmi Party’s MLA from Patiala Rural, Balbir Singh not far behind with aggressive campaign support from AAP MLAs in all other eight assembly segments in the constituency. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is all set to play spoilsport for the BJP, its former ally, leading to an interesting dynamic.
• Ever since sitting MP Preneet Kaur switched over from the Congress to the BJP in 2023, the saffron party has received a tremendous boost in the constituency of Patiala, making it one of the front-runners in this four-cornered contest. In fact, the contest, especially in the city, has taken the shape of a two-way Congress versus BJP battle.
• In the 2022 assembly elections, the AAP won all nine seats in the constituency with a dominating vote share of 48.4% against the SAD which came second with 18.9%, the Congress with 16.8% and the BJP with 5.4%
• In 2019, it was Preneet Singh who, contesting on a Congress ticket, dominated the polls with 45.6% of the vote, with nearest rival SAD in alliance with the BJP scoring 31.6%, followed by Dharamvir Singh who bagged 13.9% of the vote and AAP with 4.9%.
• Congress’ Popular Candidate: The Congress has fielded former MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, a reputed cardiologist, who won the seat in 2014 on an AAP ticket and quit the party in 2016 to form his own short-lived political outfit. Though not a native, Gandhi is a well-known face in the constituency recognised for having lived among the people and resonating with their woes. He is especially favoured for his philanthropic work during the Covid pandemic and his decision to stand firmly with farmers during the farmers’ protest.
• The Congress has traditionally dominated in Patiala, and was overthrown only by Gandhi in 2014 defeating Preneet Kaur, a royal face heavyweight from the Congress at the time. With Gandhi, who joined the party in April, it is hoping to clinch the seat one more time even as its own MP, Preneet Kaur who comes from royal background and reclaimed the seat in 2019, has switched over to the BJP.
• Gandhi is banking on a sense of anti-incumbency against both the AAP-led state government and sitting MP Preneet Kaur. He is leveraging his image as a common man fighting against a royal, and hopes to repeat the victory of 2014. With rising support for the party in rural areas, where voters are most influenced by the farmers’ protests and anti-BJP sentiments, Gandhi has an edge against his opponents.
• However, he faces a significant challenge from the BJP which is bolstered by the Modi factor which is seemingly on the rise, especially in urban areas, as far as interactions with voters go. Moreover, the AAP is running a solid campaign of its own, and the SAD remains a formidable player in the race as well.
• BJP’s Stock on the Rise: Kaur, who is a four-time MP from the constituency, having served from 1999-2014 and then from 2019 to 2024, is a political heavyweight from the royal family of Patiala and wife of former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh. In 2019, she won the election with a heavy margin of 1.63 lakh votes. The ‘Maharani of Patiala’ wields tremendous sway in the constituency, and is banking on the Modi factor to sail her through pockets of anti-incumbency.
• With the BJP in the fray with a high-profile candidate, and wife of the Maharaja himself, voters drawn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who previously did not ‘waste’ their vote on BJP because of its small presence, are now expected to cast their vote on the lotus symbol.
• In fact, there is an apparent surge in the Modi factor, which is dominating urban areas. The Maharani herself is campaigning on the prime minister’s name. “I am coming to you for a new start…vote for Modi ji to strengthen Punjab. He is the tallest leader in the country. Look at how we are respected internationally now. We send our children abroad. Indians living abroad know what has changed for them there during the rule of Modi. You have given enough to the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Now, try the BJP. Modi ji will catapult Punjab on the path of development. We need someone like him. Centre has several beneficial schemes,” she said in a village gathering in Patiala.
• However, there is palpable anger in Sikh-dominated rural areas against the BJP government in the Centre over its handling of the farmers’s protests. Preneet Kaur faces a solid challenge from Gandhi, who having defeated her once before, is leading a strong campaign in the rural areas banking on the anti-BJP sentiment and commanding a significant edge as a result.
• Hindu voters, who comprise roughly 42% of the vote, also lean overwhelmingly towards the Modi factor, veering away from the Congress, and reflecting a ground-breaking shift in the political landscape of Patiala. It is a pivotal challenge for the BJP which seeks to claim the favour of Hindu votes from the SAD, which previously enjoyed the same in alliance with the party. Such a transfer of votes may reduce the SAD to the sidelines in this constituency. The SAD, meanwhile, is aware of this threat and has nominated NK Sharma, from the Hindu community, to ensure that it retains their vote. Meanwhile, anti-incumbency against the AAP government is another factor that the BJP hopes to cash in on.
• The Modi factor is essentially bolstered by the Modi government’s stand on national security, its contribution to India’s global standing, welfare schemes and the promise of development. In Patiala, a large number of family members of constituents, who live in other parts of the country such as New Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, bring back tales of enhanced infrastructure and governance, which seems to favour the party.
• Akali Dal Playing Catch Up: Led by former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal’s decision to nominate the wealthy former MLA, NK Mishra, is aimed at retaining Hindu votes amid rising prevalence of the Modi factor. Sharma’s selection is aimed at courting the large Hindu vote in Patiala which stands at around 42%, other than the Sikh voter-base loyal to it.
• Having been the top rival of the Congress in 2019, with a vote share of 31.35%, the SAD is threatened by the shifting political dynamics in Patiala. With no alliance with the BJP, and the saffron party going its own way with a royal face and four-time MP Preneet Kaur, the SAD faces the possibility of a decline in vote share.
• The party has notably failed to bank on the anti-BJP sentiment in rural areas impacted by the farmers’ protests. Having been a former ally of the BJP, its decision to part ways with the party has still not improved its position, while the Congress has made the most out of the situation.
• AAP The Dark Horse: In 2014, Dharamvir Gandhi, contesting on an AAP ticket, defeated Preneet Kaur who was with the Congress at the time, with a narrow margin of less than 21,000 votes. However, the AAP’s stock plummeted with Gandhi’s exit in 2016. In 2019, the party scored a vote share of only 4.83% with candidate Neena Mittal. In the 2022 assembly elections, the party swept the state in a landslide victory, bringing AAP back into the formidable position that it is in today.
• The AAP has nominated Dr Balbir Singh, an eye surgeon leading the state government’s health ministry, who is attempting to give a tough fight to his opponents, including his colleague Gandhi. Dr Balbir Singh is the MLA from the Patiala Rural constituency and is backed by the other eight AAP MLAs in Patiala. Such a massive ground-level machinery adds a significant advantage even as the Bhagwan Mann-led state government faces considerable anti-incumbency both in urban as well as rural areas.
• With close ties to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Dr. Balbir Singh emerged as AAP’s top choice for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party conducted a survey within the constituency to identify potential candidates with the best chances of winning before making their decision.
• In a campaign speech in Patiala, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the royal family of Patiala, taking shots as Captain Amarinder Singh, stating that his family had aligned themselves with the Mughal Empire, then with the British during their rule, followed by affiliations with the Akali Dal and the Congress based on who was in power in Punjab, and now with the BJP. He claimed that the state of Patiala was established by Ahmed Shah Abdali because Captain’s ancestor, Ala Singh, had betrayed the Khalsa group that had looted Abdali’s convoy.
• While there are no indications of a plausible victory, it remains to be seen whether the AAP can raise its vote share against the BJP’s royal candidate and the Congress’ leading heavyweight.

Key Issues

• Flooding: Flooding of the Jhajjar river during the monsoon rains has been a long standing issue in Patiala. People have demanded the government to address the issue and build flood resilient infrastructure but to no avail. People have gleaned over the crores in private property damages over the years.
• People also have become aware that the promises to address the issue made during the elections have been nothing more than an attempt to consolidate votes. No work has been done and no one has any plan to address the flood situation.
• In 2023, hundreds of people had to be rescued by the army and the NDRF as flood water remained in the region for days.
• Railway Connectivity: The construction of the Chandigarh-Bhatinda railway line is a major issue in the region. The people believe it would boost connectivity to the state’s best developing city and will boost economic development of their own region. However, it has not transpired.
• The AAP government had promised to fulfil the promise long held by the people but has failed to do so and has surrendered to the transport mafia. There has also been opposition from farmers in regards to land acquisition for the railway line which would be built at the expense of their fertile lands.
• Unemployment: Despite the presence of major industries, unemployment remains a key issue in Patiala. The rising population has outgrown the creation of jobs every year and the youth who were interested in recruitment for the armed forces have been left stumped by the Centre’s Agniveer programme which only leads to 4 years of employment in the armed forces. This has also led to massive migration from the region to Gurugram, Delhi and other urban centres in the country for better employment opportunities.
• Agniveer: There has been considerable angst among the populace in Patiala and Punjab as a whole against the Agniveer scheme introduced by the Central government which limited recruitment into the army for only four years. Unemployed youth in the region often regarded the army as a major employment centre, however all of it has now changed. The anger of the people over the issue has reached a boil and the Congress has included it as a major part of its election campaign in an effort to disrupt BJP in the state.
• Farmer’s Protest: The farmer’s protest in Patiala remains to be a major election issue with far reaching consequences not limited beyond the constituency. Farmer’s in Punjab have been agitating for more than one and half years over the now repealed farm laws and have also demanded an increase in MSP for their produce.
• This has led to large scale disruptions in Patiala with rail services ceasing to a halt for more than 2 days as farmer’s protested at the railway station. Farmer’s are also protesting and demanding the release of three protestors namely Navdeep Singh, Anish Khatkar and Gurkirat Singh — who were arrested in March by Haryana cops. The issue is likely to play a big role in the lok sabha constituency of Patiala and others in Punjab.

Voter Demographics

• Urban Voters: 41%
• Rural Voters: 59%
• Literacy Rate: 67.63%
• SC: 23.7%
• Hindu: 42%
• Sikh: 55.06%
• Muslim: 2.21%

Infrastructure Development

• Civic Infrastructure: In 2023, CM Nijjar announced the construction of several infrastructure projects to improve Patiala. The total cost was set at Rs. 2.27 crore. It included outsourcing of safai sewak for the health branch of the municipal corporation of Patiala, desilting of the outer ganda nallah from Gurdwara Akalgarh Sahib to Chajju Bhat at Nabha municipal council, and desilting of inner nallahs at different sites in Nabha and installation of a traffic signal system on the Lower Mall road in Patiala.
• Patiala ISBT: The construction of the new ISBT in patiala has been a major achievement for the people. It was inaugurated in May last year. It was constructed at a cost of over Rs 60.97 crore and spread over 8.51 acre, the bus stand has 41 counters for public convenience.
• Railway Infrastructure: Patiala has seen the construction of several subways to eliminate level crossings, the provision of essential amenities at various stations, and improvements to existing stations like Rajpura. The development also includes a new covered foot over bridge at the Shamibh, Sadhugarh & Manpur railway station, and a new tube well at Dhuri. Future work includes a double line between Rajpura-Bathinda and development of the circulating area at the Rajpura station.
• Sports Infrastructure: In August last year, Union minister Anurag Thakur unveiled an outlay of Rs. 13 crore to enhance the sports infrastructure in the regions at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports. It included a state-of-the-art Weightlifting Hall, Fitness centre, modern hostels and Guest House.
• Roads: A 13.80 km Patiala-Samana-Guhla Cheeka road, which costs Rs 11.60 crore, while in Sanaur, the 23 km Patiala-Guhla-Cheeka road, valued at Rs 19.29 crore, was inaugurated in November last year which will provide better intra regional connectivity.
• Mahali Bypass: Mohali Bypass which will connect Zirakpur and Panchkula is under planning by the NHAI and will be connected to Sector 24-26 of Panchkula via dividing and then to Chandimandir and NH-5 from Airport Chowk on Zirakpur-Patiala Road. This will help ease traffic congestion in the adjoining cities and provide faster movement of traffic.

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