Cong reaffirms its dominance on Ludh seat, secures 3.2L votes

Ludhiana: State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring emerged victorious in the high-stake battle for Ludhiana parliamentary constituency by defeating BJP candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu by a margin of 20,942 votes.Warring secured 3,22,224 of 10,59,678 total votes polled, retaining the seat for the Congress for the fourth consecutive term. Ravneet Singh Bittu bagged 3,01,282 votes. The race, widely perceived as a contest between loyalty and betrayal, concluded with the Congress reaffirming its dominance in the constituency. The battle for Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat became an issue of prestige after Bittu shifted his loyalty to the BJP and Congress fielded its state president. Warring led since the first round of counting and managed to maintain the lead till the last round.

Not a mean feat Warring’s success is no mean feat, considering that he was at a disadvantage right from the beginning. Besides starting the campaign late, he had to face challenges such as being labelled an “outsider,” internal party feuds, objections over the induction of the Bains brothers and lack of support from senior local leaders. Still, he managed to hold onto the Congress stronghold for a record 11th time.For one, Warring made sure he talked in a relatable manner, steering clear of political jingoism. The party outreach at the grassroots level was also commendable. Warring injected quite a lot of energy in his campaign - projecting himself as one of the people to counter the “outsider” tag. Whether induction of the Bains brothers worked for him is still a moot point but what undoubtedly did work in his favour was his people skills. He strategically established a direct connect with voters across religious, political and economic divides. At his rallies, he spoke about issues relevant to the target audience. Besides engaging with traders, he displayed understanding while talking to people with limited means and village residents. On these occasions, he emphasised Congress promises like monthly financial support of Rs 8,500 to poor families and health insurance coverage of Rs 25 lakh for every poor family.In Sikh-dominated areas, Warring underscored the Congress's contributions to the Sikh community, such as the appointments of Giani Zail Singh and Manmohan Singh to vital national posts when the party was in power. He also engaged with farmers, discussing BJP and AAP governments' approaches toward the state's agricultural community.Anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling government and voters' disapproval of political defection also contributed to his success, as people voted against these trends. Additionally, the negative perception of the opposition parties' candidates gave him an edge.For the Congress, this is a consolidation of its bastion. The last defeat the Congress faced in Ludhiana was in 2004, when Sharanjit Singh Dhillon of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) represented the seat. Since then, it has been held by the Congress, with Manish Tewari winning in 2009 and Ravneet Singh Bittu representing it from 2014 to 2024.The parliamentary seat has been considered a Congress bastion since the first general election in 1952, with the party representing it in 1952, 1957, 1967, 1971, 1980, 1992, 1999, 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024 Lok Sabha election.
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