Though the Shiromani Akali Dal has registered an impressive performance at the hustings, several senior leaders of the party, including former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur, suffered humiliating defeat in the elections.
The defeated Akali "big guns" include Jagir Kaur, Bhag Singh Malah, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Veer Singh Lopke, Kuldeep Singh Wadala, Ranjit Singh Talwandi, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Gurdev Singh Badal, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Tota Singh and Sikander Singh Maluka.
While Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal's son Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal (SAD) lost his traditional Kum Kalan seat, Tamil Nadu Governor S S Barnala's son Gaganjit Singh (SAD) was defeated in his stronghold Dhuri.
Incidentally, the SAD's tally of 48 is also its lowest ever in the history of Punjab's Assembly elections.
When the Akalis took over the reigns of the state in 1977 and 1997, the party bagged 59 and 75 seats respectively.
In 1969, the Akalis formed the government under the chief ministership of Gurnam Singh with a total 43 seats in a House with a total strength of 104 Assembly seats. However, Gurnam Singh defected to the Congress following which the SAD members re-grouped and chose Badal as their leader in March 1970 and formed ministry with the support of Jan Sangh.
Congress too had its own share of shocks in the present elections as several of its key leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee chief Shamsher Singh Dullo, were defeated.
Other prominent Congress losers included Avtar Henry, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Choudhary Jagjit Singh, Malkiat Singh Birmi, Darbari Lal, Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Sardul Singh, Malkiat Singh Dakha, Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, Harbans Lal, Romesh Dutt Sharma, Romesh Chand Dogra, Amrik Singh Dhillon, Rakesh Pandey, Jagjit Singh and Ashwini Sekhri.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was of immense help to the Akalis in returning to power by bagging 19 of the total 23 seats it constested, also had a major defeat as its senior leader and former minister Madan Mohan Mittal lost his traditional Nangal constituency.
