Labh Singh Ugoke was hardly a name to make headlines anywhere, even in Punjab, but on Thursday he caused one of the biggest election upheavals Punjab has ever seen. The Punjab-style Delhi-style electoral verdict threw out several Davids who outperformed the veteran Goliaths that dominated state politics for decades.
Here’s a look at some of the big winners:
1) Labh Singh Ugoke: Ugoke pulled off one of the biggest upsets when he defeated Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi of Bhadaur. However, few expected Ugoke to pull off all that excitement as not only was Channi a seasoned veteran, but Ugoke’s background is quite humble. Ugoke is reportedly in the cell phone repair business. His father is a driver. In his victory, Kejriwal made a point of announcing Ugoke’s humble origins.
2) Charanjit Singh: At Chamkaur Sahib, the Chief Minister of Punjab lost to an AAP candidate who also happened to be his namesake. The winner, Charanjit Singh, is reportedly a 55-year-old doctor by profession.
3) Ajitpal Singh Kohli: Kohli did what many considered an extremely difficult task – he defeated Amarinder Singh from his pocket district of Patiala. Kohli reportedly used to be at Akali Dal before joining AAP. He is a wealthy businessman by profession.
4) Gurmeet Singh Khudian: Khudian is the son of former MP Jagdev Singh Khudian. He beat Lambi’s Parkash Singh Badal. Khudian was in Congress before joining the AAP.
5) Jeevanjyot Kaur: In his victory speech, Kejriwal named Kaur an ordinary AAP worker who had achieved an incredible feat. She defeated not one, but two heavyweights. Kaur won the seat of Amritsar (East), beating Navjot Sidhu of Congress and Bikram Majithia of Akali Dal.
6) Jagdeep Kamboj: A young leader who managed to beat former Deputy Prime Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Kamboj was one of the leaders that Kejriwal also fought for.
