NEW DELHI – The assembly polls concluded in the five states yielded the results that are almost similar to what the exit polls had predicted. But at an individual level, they have thrown up a shocker for some political bigwigs across the party lines.
Reports show that at least two current and five former chief ministers have lost their respective seats.
The current Punjab Chief Minister, Charanjit Singh Channi, who assumed power only a few months back by replacing Captain Amrinder Singh, lost the battle at both the seats – Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib – he contested. Captain too did not win the seat he was fighting at from his own party that he sprung up after face-off with Congress.
In Uttarakhand, incumbent the Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, lost to Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri in Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar. However, his party, the BJP, is all set to retain power in the state. Former chief minister and Congress face in the hill state Harish Singh Rawat also failed to win his seat.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is sweeping the assembly polls in Punjab under the leadership of Bhagwat Singh Mann who is expected to be the next chief minister. Apart from Channi and Captain, the other two big faces who lost their seats in Punjab are Parkash Singh Badal, the former Akali chief minister and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Congress leader and the only woman chief minister that Punjab has seen.
Counting of votes is underway while writing the report with five seats and the final results expected by today evening.
