Situated at the heart of Punjab, Patiala is not just a city but a name that echoes as an integral part of Punjab’s history, politics and culture. The city is renowned for its royal past, buildings and rich heritage. Patiala Lok Sabha constituency occupies a special place in Indian democracy because it has given many big personalities to the country’s politics. This article throws light upon the election background of Patiala parliamentary constituency, its famous MPs and amazing election results.
Patiala Lok Sabha seat: A glimpse
Patiala parliamentary constituency is among the important constituencies in Punjab where battles in elections have always been interesting. Regional parties as well as national parties have been struggling to leave their deep impact in politics here. The election history of Patiala Lok Sabha seat is quite old, dating back a number of decades, during which time political parties and independent candidates have tried their fortunes.
MPs of Patiala Lok Sabha seat up to date: A glance
The performance of MPs elected from Patiala Lok Sabha constituency shows the political mood of this seat. The seat has been Congress’s base of strength at times, and sometimes Shiromani Akali Dal has strengthened itself here. The below table presents a detailed list of MPs of Patiala seat and their election outcomes so far:
Year Candidate Party Total Votes
| Year | Candidate | Party | Total Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Preneet Kaur | INC | 532027 |
| 2014 | Dr. Dharam Vira Gandhi | AAAP | 365671 |
| 2009 | Preneet Kaur | INC | 474188 |
| 2004 | Preneet Kaur | INC | 409917 |
| 1999 | Preneet Kaur | INC | 360125 |
| 1998 | Prem Singh Chandumajra | SAD | 410937 |
| 1996 | Prem Singh Chandumajra | SAD | 316554 |
| 1992 | Sant Ram Singla | INC | 135864 |
| 1989 | Atinderpal Singh | IND | 294172 |
| 1985 | Charanjit Singh | SAD | 254302 |
| 1980 | Amarinder Singh | INC(I) | 256233 |
| 1977 | Gurcharan Singh Tohra | SAD | 265111 |
| 1971 | Sat Pal | INC | 147436 |
This table clearly shows that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have dominated this seat. Preneet Kaur has been elected to this seat more than once, which shows her popularity and Congress’ iron grip. On the other hand, Prem Singh Chandumajra has won resounding victories on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket.
Electoral Analysis: A Deep Dive On Some Key Years
An in-depth analysis of the Patiala seat’s voting history reveals some intriguing trends and shifts. Let us look at some of the big elections in detail:
2019 Parliamentary Election: Preneet Kaur’s Stunning Comeback
The 2019 Lok Sabha election was historic in Patiala as Preneet Kaur once more achieved a historic win on an Indian National Congress ticket. He triumphed on his seat with a total of 532027 votes, representing 45.13% of the total valid votes cast. Shiromani Akali Dal party candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra placed second with 369309 votes (31.33%). Preneet Kaur won by 162718 votes from Surjit Singh Rakhra.
There were 1739600 total voters for this election, of which 1177903 votes were cast, leading to an overall polling percentage of 67.71%. There were some other candidates who were also contesting this election, such as Aam Aadmi Party’s Neena Mittal and Navan Punjab Party’s Dharam Vira Gandhi, but they were much behind the top two candidates. The NOTA also got 11110 votes, i.e., 0.94% of the total votes.
2014 Lok Sabha Election: Rise of Aam Aadmi Party:
The 2014 Lok Sabha election brought in a change substantial enough for Patiala. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAAP) surprised one and all with their surprising performance during this election. Dr. Dharam Vira Gandhi, who received 365671 votes (23.14%) on the ticket of AAAP, won and became the MP from Patiala. It was a big victory for the AAAP, which made its presence felt robustly in Punjab politics.
Congress veteran Preneet Kaur trailed behind in this election with 344729 votes (21.81%). She lost to Dr. Dharam Vira Gandhi by 20942 votes. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Deepinder Singh Dhillon trailed third with 340109 votes (21.52%). In 2014, the voters were 1580273 and 1120933 votes were valid, giving a voter turnout of 70.93%. This election was strongly suggestive of the growing influence of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
2009 Lok Sabha Election: Preneet Kaur’s Uncontested Victory
Preneet Kaur once more won the Patiala seat for the Indian National Congress in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. She had 474188 votes (35.26%) and defeated her nearest rival, Prem Singh Chandumajra of Shiromani Akali Dal, who had 376799 votes (28.02%). Preneet Kaur won by a margin of 97389 votes. Voters numbered 1344864 and 936005 votes were polled, giving a voter turn out of 69.6%.
2004 Lok Sabha Election: Third term of Preneet Kaur
Preneet Kaur was successful in 2004 from Patiala seat on the ticket of Indian National Congress. She polled 409917 votes and shared victory with Shiromani Akali Dal’s Kanwarjit Singh who polled 386250 votes. Preneet Kaur won by 23667 votes. Valid votes polled in this election were 874131.
1999 Lok Sabha Election: Electoral Hattrick of Preneet Kaur
Preneet Kaur won in Patiala Lok Sabha seat for the third time in the 1999 election. She won with 360125 votes (46.06%) in support of the Indian National Congress. Her nearest rival Shiromani Akali Dal’s Surjit Singh Rakhra received 281217 votes (35.97%). Preneet Kaur won by 78908 votes. During this election, 1310354 voters were total and 781794 votes were cast in support of valid votes, and the vote percentage became 59.66%.
1998 Lok Sabha Election: Return of Akali Dal
1998 Shiromani Akali Dal ElectionThere was a shift. Prem Singh Chandumajra won this seat on SAD ticket by 410937 votes (50.95%). He beat Amarinder Singh of the Indian National Congress who polled 377686 votes (46.82%). Prem Singh Chandumajra won this seat by 33251 votes. Number of voters in this election was 1313159 and 806615 votes were cast validly, giving a polling percentage of 62.19%.
1996 Lok Sabha Election: Prem Singh Chandumajra’s First Victory
Prem Singh Chandumajra won in his first election in 1996 from Patiala seat for Shiromani Akali Dal. He defeated Sant Ram of Indian National Congress by 49066 votes with 316554 votes (46.47%) vs 267488 votes (39.26%). Chandumajra won. There were 1183865 voters available for this election and 681255 votes were actually polled, giving a 58.88% voting turnout.
1992 Lok Sabha Election: Congress Return to Power
Sant Ram Singla of Indian National Congress took office again in the Patiala constituency in the 1992 election. He got 135864 votes (58.77%). Manjit Singh Khaira of Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) stood at second position and got 32088 votes (13.88%). Sant Ram Singla was victorious by such a large number of votes as 103776. There were a total of 1030107 voters in this election and 231194 valid votes were cast, which was 23.72% voter turnout. This election was special with its low voter turnout in the province of Punjab too.
1989 Lok Sabha Election: Independent Candidate’s Victory
This 1989 election was special for Patiala because this year an independent candidate Atinderpal Singh won. He won by securing 294172 votes (46.59%) as against Vinod Kumar of Indian National Congress who secured 212912 votes (33.72%). Atinderpal Singh won by 81260 votes. The total voters in this election were 1017093 and 631418 votes were casted resulting in a 63.61% polling percentage. This win by an independent candidate proves that the people of Patiala are experiencing a change of taste.
1985 Lok Sabha Election: Shiromani Akali Dal Triumph
In 1985, Charanjit Singh from Shiromani Akali Dal has won the seat of Patiala. He got 254302 votes (45.03%). Amarjit Kaur from Indian National Congress stood at second position with 234034 votes (41.44%). Charanjit Singh won the election by a margin of 20268 votes. In this election, there were 824586 voters in total and 564779 votes were polled, which is 71.91% voter turnout.
1980 Lok Sabha Election: Congress (I) Wins
Indian National Congress (I) Amarinder Singh secured the Patiala seat in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. He polled 256233 votes (56.05%) and beat the Shiromani Akali Dal’s Ajit Singh who polled 177254 votes (38.77%). Amarinder Singh secured the seat with a margin of 78979 votes. The number of voters was 736383 and 457147 votes were cast in this election, giving the voter turnout as 63.47%.
1977 Lok Sabha Election: Akali Dal Victory
Gurcharan Singh Tohra of Shiromani Akali Dal was elected to win the 1977 Lok Sabha election. He secured 265111 votes (58.58%) and won over Amarinder Singh of Indian National Congress who secured 174794 votes (38.62%). Tohra won with a margin of 90317 votes. Total 606187 voters casted their votes in this election and 452576 votes were valid, which provided a polling percentage of 76.31%.
1971 Lok Sabha Election: Congress Dominance
Indian National Congress’ Sat Pal emerged victorious in the 1971 Lok Sabha election from Patiala. He polled 147436 votes (47.87%) and won over Shiromani Akali Dal’s Gyan Singh who polled 105739 votes (34.33%). Sat Pal emerged victorious by 41697 votes. Total voters were 512694 and 307991 votes were polled and the percentage was 61.63%.
Patiala’s Electoral Journey: Changing Trends and Future Projections
The voting history of Patiala Lok Sabha seat has been punctuated with ups and downs. The seat witnessed a direct contest between Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Congress in the past. However, the rise of Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 reflects a new political tendency, which brought conventional political equations to their knees.
Preneet Kaur’s win in this constituency several times in a row reflects her political grip and popularity. Prem Singh Chandumajra won the pivotal fights for the Shiromani Akali Dal simultaneously. People of Patiala have remained vigilant and given a chance to numerous political parties and even an independent one according to their urge.
In the days to come, the fight over the seat of Patiala Lok Sabha will be even more interesting. Regional parties and national parties will try to strengthen their grip over this important seat. Changing voter trends and emerging political issues could make the electoral result of this seat even more sensitive. Patiala, inheriting a rich legacy, will continue to be an important player in the electoral landscape of Indian democracy.
Conclusion:
Patiala’s Lok Sabha journey reflects a dynamic blend of tradition and change. From repeated victories of leaders like Preneet Kaur to surprising shifts like the rise of AAP, voters here have shown sharp political judgment. As political tides continue to shift, Patiala will remain a key seat—shaping and reflecting the evolving democratic spirit of Punjab.
