AAP sweeps away Sidhu, Channi, Badal, Amarinder, Majithia et al

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is sweeping Punjab polls leaving some of the big names in state politics red-faced. Be it Navjot Singh Sidhu, the veteran Prakash Singh Badal, CM Charanjit Singh Channi, or former CM Amarinder Singh - all have lost their seats to AAP candidates thus marking a significant shift in the regional politics of this border state.

Ludhiana: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is sweeping Punjab polls leaving some of the big names in state politics red-faced. Be it Navjot Singh Sidhu, the veteran Parkash Singh Badal, CM Charanjit Singh Channi, or Capt. Amarinder Singh - all have lost their seats to AAP candidates thus marking a significant shift in the regional politics of this border state.

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and his friend-turned-foe-turned-friend Charanjit Singh Channi both lost to AAP candidates. Navjot faced an embarrassing defeat in Amritsar (East) seat losing to AAP's Jeewan Jyot Kaur by over 6,000 votes while Channi lost from both the seats - Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. In Bhadaur, AAP's Labh Singh got over 57,000 votes, while Channi could manage around 23,000 votes. In Chamkaur Sahib, Channi got some 50,000 votes, while his rival and namesake from Aam Aadmi Party Charanjit Singh got over 54,000 votes.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also got faced defeats. Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal lost by a margin of over 23,000 votes in the Jalalabad constituency to AAP's Aadmi Party's Jagdeep Kamboj. Veteran SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal lost the Lambi constituency by a margin of over 11,000 votes against Aam Aadmi Party's AP’s Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Another SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia lost from Amritsar East by a margin of 14,408 votes to AAP's Jeewan Jyot Kaur.

Punjab Lok Congress Party chief and two-time chief minister Amarinder Singh too lost from Patiala Urban by a margin of 19,873 votes to Aam Aadmi Party’s Ajit Pal Singh Kohli. Soon after the results were declared, the former chief minister took to Twitter to congratulate AAP and its chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann. “I accept the verdict of the people with all humility…Congratulation to AAP Punjab and Bhagwant Mann,” tweeted Singh.

Singh also took a dig at his former party Congress, which failed to retain power in the state. “Punjabis have shown true spirit of Punjabiyat by rising and voting above sectarian and caste lines,” read Singh’s tweet.