Passionate Punjabis did not show their enthusiasm in voting on Sunday and the turnout was nearly 10 per cent lower than in the previous elections. Although it was expected that due to increase of 10 percent voter turnout this time in Punjab will cross 80 percent, but due to the cooling of enthusiasm, the turnout remained till 68.03 percent.
There are total 117 assembly seats in Punjab. The state had over 2.14 crore voters. In 2017, this number was close to one crore 92 lakhs. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the voters in the 2017 elections and voters kept the pace of voting fast since morning. Due to the anti-incumbency wave, the main opposition Congress got 77 seats. Congress party got 38.5 percent votes, Shiromani Akali Dal got 25.3 percent votes and Aam Aadmi Party got 23.8 percent votes. The BJP could get only 5.3 per cent votes.
For the first time in Punjab, the elections are quadrangular in many seats and triangular contest in some seats. The competition with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party in urban areas has become interesting and thorny. In such a situation, speculations were being made that this time there will be bumper voting in Punjab. The way PM Modi’s three rallies were held, AAP campaigned vigorously, more turnout was expected from it, but since Sunday morning, the enthusiasm of the voters was soft.
The process of sluggish voting continued till noon and around 12 o’clock the voting gained some momentum and by 4 pm the turnout had reached 52.2 percent. By 6 pm, the voter turnout was 64 per cent. Due to low turnout, where the ruling leaders consider themselves safe. At the same time, opponents are also engaged in assessing the profit and loss due to low vote percentage.
Political analyst and senior writer Rakesh Shantidoot says that 4.5 per cent votes were cast in the first one hour, while in the last elections 10 per cent votes were cast in the first one hour. It is clear that the enthusiasm of the voters was cold. The protocol of Corona was also to be followed, but with this the Election Commission had extended the deadline for voting. He says that only the ruling party benefits from falling voting percentage, but it is too early to say anything in the current situation.
Punjabis didn’t give clear majority just twice
It has happened only twice in the electoral history of Punjab that no party got an absolute majority. The first time in 1967 and the second time in 1969, but both times the government of manipulation was formed but the government could not run for five years. In all the elections held since 1969, it has got an absolute majority.
This happened in 1967, when no party got a clear majority, after the elections, non-Congress parties formed a coalition named People’s United Front and Akali Dal leader Gurnam Singh became the Chief Minister for the first time but his government in only 262 days. fell. Due to the separation of Lachman Singh Gill, his government was reduced to a minority.
Later Lachman Singh Gill became the Chief Minister of the state with the support of Congress but he too could not run the government for long. Punjab elections were held again in 1969. The fifth assembly came into existence after the 1969 elections. This time also no party got majority. Shiromani Akali Dal won 48 seats, Congress won 38 seats and Bharatiya Jana Sangh candidates won 8 seats. Akali Dal leader Gurnam Singh became the Chief Minister of the state for the second time on 17 February 1969 in a coalition government of United Front. This time his government lasted for 1 year and 38 days. After him, Parkash Singh Badal of Akali Dal became the Chief Minister with the support of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.