The Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Punjab were a shocker for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who could not score even a single seat in the state. Even as compared to 2019, where BJP scored 2 seats. Conversely, Congress Party won the maximum 7 seats, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to nab 3. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) managed to win 1 and 2 independent candidates won.
Earlier, BJP has always fought elections in Punjab in alliance with Akali Dal. This time BJP decided to contest the elections alone, costing them heavily. The result was that while BJP had won 2 seats in the 2019 elections, this time it could not win even a single seat. On the other hand, Congress-AAP contested elections across the country under the INDIA alliance, but in Punjab both the parties were fighting separately. Congress had won 8 seats in the 2019 elections also forming the government in Punjab.
AAP had got 1 seat in 2019. In this election it increased to 3. In the 2022 assembly elections, AAP got 92 out of 117 seats. Despite being in government in the state, AAP's result was very low. AAP was running here with a mission of 13-0. However, the most shocking result was on 2 constituencies. Independent candidate and Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh won from Khadoor Sahib seat and independent candidate Sarabjit Singh Khalsa won from Faridkot seat. Akali Dal (SAD) only managed to win one seat, that too in Bathinda by Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Conversely, SAD had won 2 seats in 2019.
Here is all about the elected Member of Parliament (MPs) in Punjab:
Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress (Ludhiana)
Age – 46 years
Born on 29 November 1977.
Education - 10th pass from Punjab Board (PSEB)
Occupation- Businessman and farmer
Movable and immovable property – 15.11 crores
Political career –
- Was the President of Indian Youth Congress between 2014-18.
- Elected as MLA thrice from Giddarbaha seat of Sri Muktsar Sahib between 2012 to 2022.
- Raja Warring was made the Punjab Chief after Navjot Singh Sidhu was removed from the post of State President.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Gurdaspur)
Age- 65 years
Born in 1959 in Gurdaspur
Education- 12th pass
Occupation – Farming,
Movable and Immovable property – Rs 5.11 crores
Political career:
- Father Santokh Singh was Punjab Congress chief twice.
- Won from Fatehgarh Churian in 2002 and Dera Baba Nanak in 2012.
- After the fall of Captain Amarinder Singh's government in 2019, he was elected Deputy CM of Punjab.
- Now elected MP from Gurdaspur seat.
- Interesting Fact – He is one of the 42 MLAs who resigned after the Supreme Court decision on SYL issue.
Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress (Jalandhar)
Age- 58 years Born on 2 March 1963 in Marana Kalan.
Education- PhD from Punjab University Chandigarh
Profession- Businessman
Movable and Immovable property – Rs 9.45 crores
Political career –
- Elected Chairman of Kharar Council in 2002.
- Reached the assembly after winning the elections in 2007.
- Elected Leader of the Opposition during 2015-2016.
- In 2017, Chamkaur Sahib became MLA for the third time.
- Made Training Minister in Captain Amarinder Singh's government.
- Became the Chief Minister in 2021 after resigning from the post of Captain.
- Interesting fact - In 2007, Congress refused to give Channi a ticket. But he then decided to contest the elections independently and won the Assembly elections for the first time by defeating a Congress candidate. But the Lok Sabha seat went to Congress.
Amritpal Singh, Khadoor Sahib (Independent)
Age- 31 years
Born on 2 March 1963 in Marana Kalan.
Education- 10th pass from Punjab Board
Occupation: Dependent on parents
Movable property – Rs 1000 cash
Political career
- Was abroad from 2012 to 2022.
- As soon as he returned from abroad, he was declared the heir and head of Waris Punjab De, a radical Sikh militant organisation.
- Since the imposition of NSA, he has been lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam along with 9 associates.
- Amritpal Singh contested the elections from prison itself. For his elections campaign, his parents went from village to village to appeal for votes.
- Interesting fact – Amritpal Singh has been referred to as Bhindranwala 2. Not only this, Amritpal Singh has also issued threats to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Amritpal had said in Budh Singh Wala village of Moga district of Punjab that Indira had also tried to suppress the Khalistani Movement, and look what happened. Amritpal had come on the death anniversary of Punjabi singer Deep Sidhu.
Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, Faridkot (Independent)
Age-45 years.
Education- 10th pass
Occupation: Shopkeeper
Movable and immovable property – Rs 1.08 crores
Political career
- Started political career from 2004.
- In 2004, he contested the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Bathinda and got 1,13,490 votes.
- He also contested the assembly elections in 2007 from Bhadaud seat of Barnala where he received only 15,702 votes.
- This was his third attempt at a seat in the parliament.
- Sarabjit Singh Khalsa is the son of Beant Singh, who assasinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On the basis of this work of his father, he sought votes from the people.
Sher Singh Ghubaya, Firozpur (Congress)
Age - 56 years
Born in 1962 in Fazilka
Movable and immovable property – Rs 8.58 crores
Education: 10th pass.
Occupation: Farming
Political career:
- Became MP twice on Akali Dal ticket in, 2009 and 2014.
- In 2019, Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal himself contested the seat. Frustrated, he left the party and joined Congress.
- In 2019, Congress fielded him against Sukhbir Badal by giving him ticket, but lost.
Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi, Patiala (Congress)
Age – 73 years.
Education - MD from Government Medical College Patiala
Profession-Doctor Movable and immovable property – 8.53 crores
Political career:
- Joined Aam Aadmi Party in 2013.
- In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Preneet Kaur was defeated by 20,842 votes. Left AAP in 2016.
- Had also formed his own party in 2019.
- Contesting the elections again on Congress ticket in 2024, he won.
- Interesting fact – Dr. Gandhi had spent time in jail during Emergency while he was a student. He enjoys a huge fan following as a social worker.
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Sangrur (AAP)
Name- Gurmeet Singh Meet Hair
Age – 32 years
Education-B. Tech
Profession- Politician.
Movable and immovable property – 44.06 lakh
Political career:
- Became MLA for the first time in 2017 on Aam Aadmi Party ticket.
- Only Dhillon of Congress was defeated from Barnala seat.
- In 2022, he became MLA for the second time by taking 50% votes from this seat.
Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur (AAP)
Age- 52 years.
Education- MD (Radio-Diagnosis)
Profession- Doctor
Movable and immovable property – 20.72 crores
Political career
- Contested elections for the first time in 2017 on Congress ticket. Became MLA from Chabbewal of Hoshiarpur.
- Won again on Congress ticket in 2022.
- On behalf of the Congress, he was given the responsibility as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
- Left Congress legislature and contested elections from Hoshiarpur on AAP ticket.
- Interesting fact - During the budget session on March 5, he reached the assembly with a bundle of loans and a lock-chain depicting Punjab’s debt while protesting against AAP. Joined AAP 10 days later on 15 March 2024.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bathinda (SAD)
Age- 52 years.
Education- Diploma in Textile Designing from South Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi in 1987
Career-politics
Movable and immovable property – 217 crores
Political Career
- She is the daughter-in-law of Badal family and daughter of Majithia family.
- In 2009, she was elected MP from Bathinda for the first time. In 2014 and 2019, the victory margin was around 20 thousand.
- In 2014, she contested the elections against her own brother-in-law and managed to secure the victory.
- Interesting fact - Has the title of being the richest candidate of Punjab. After the implementation of three agricultural laws and the beginning of protests on behalf of farmers, Akali Dal's alliance with BJP was ended. At the same time, she also resigned from the post of Food and Processing Minister.
Gurjit Aujla, Amritsar (Congress)
Age- 51 years.
Born on 30 October 1972 in Amritsar.
Education Higher Secondary
Profession: Agriculture and builder
Movable and Immovable property: Rs 4.16 crore
Political Career:
- Political career as councillor began.
- In 2017, Captain Amarinder Singh left the Amritsar seat before becoming the CM.
- This proved to be the turning point in Aujla's political career.
- He won the first election by a margin of 1.97 lakh votes. Won the second election in 2019 by defeating Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
- Interesting facts - Received the title of Singh is King: December
- In 2023, two intruders came inside the Parliament and threw a color bomb. Everyone was running away from the intruders, but Gurjit Aujla pounced on them and threw the bomb out himself. His dialogue became famous – A Punjabi never runs away from danger. After this, senior leader Shashi Tharoor called him Singh is King.
Amar Singh, Fatehgarh Sahib (Congress)
Age- 65 years.
Occupation- Former IAS officer
Movable-Immovable property- 3.28 crores
Education: MBBS from Amritsar Medical College
Political career:
- Joined Congress after retirement in 2013.
- Contested assembly elections from Raikot in 2017, but lost.
- Contested elections from Fatehgarh Sahib in 2019 and won by 93,898 votes.
- Interesting fact: He worked as the secretary of the local Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh for 10 years.
Malvinder Kang, Anandpur Sahib (AAP)
Name- Malvinder Singh Kang
Age-45 years.
Education- MA History
Profession: Lawyer
Movable and immovable property – 4.39 crores
political career
- His family is from Madhya Pradesh but they have been living in Punjab for the last 27 years.
- About two years ago, the party had appointed him in-charge of Anandpur Sahib constituency.