Punjab’s Amritsar Lok Sabha seat holds a distinguished status, often considered a VIP seat. Situated around the Golden Temple, the city is renowned for its significant role in India’s independence struggles, including the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre – the largest of its kind during the Indian independence movement.
Additionally, Amritsar has a unique history, marked by events during the India-Pakistan partition. In the political arena, it is recognized as a high-profile constituency.
Gurjeet Singh Aujla, a member of the Congress party, currently represents the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. The vacancy in 2017 resulted from Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation. In the subsequent election, Gurjeet Singh Aujla secured a remarkable victory, defeating BJP candidate Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina by a margin of nearly 200,000 votes.
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri defeating Aujla to reclaim the Amritsar seat. Notably, a disruptive incident occurred in Parliament the previous year, involving individuals who created chaos.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla apprehended a person smoking inside the Parliament with a ‘smoke stick.’ Aujla’s political journey has been challenging, with a focus on questioning development issues, particularly those affecting Amritsar. He has successfully established himself as a popular leader in his constituency.
Reflecting on the historical context of the Amritsar seat, the first general elections took place in 1952. Initially dominated by Congress, the electoral landscape underwent a transformation after 1998. The BJP secured its first victory in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections.
The 2004 elections intensified the political scenario, featuring former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu as the BJP candidate, who emerged victorious. However, after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the political dynamics of this seat shifted once again.
Over the last two decades, winning this seat did not necessarily translate into capturing national power. In 1999, Congress won when Vajpayee’s government was formed. From 2004 to 2009, BJP’s Navjot Singh Sidhu represented this seat while Congress held power at the national level.
In 2014, Congress reclaimed this seat, coinciding with BJP’s substantial victory and Narendra Modi becoming the Prime Minister. The 2019 elections saw Congress winning the seat again, with the public providing a clear mandate to BJP.
The Amritsar Lok Sabha seat boasts approximately 1.9 million voters, with development consistently being a significant concern. The Sikh voter base is predominant in this constituency. While BJP has more voters in Amritsar city, rural areas, especially Majitha, Attari, and Ajnala, lean towards Akali Dal.
Tourism, fueled by attractions like the Golden Temple and the Wagah Border, contributes to the region’s robust development. As the 2024 general election approaches, there is heightened activity and planning. However, several issues in Amritsar require urgent attention. The public will undoubtedly evaluate their MP’s work before the elections, and India News is conducting a survey to gauge public opinion, recognizing its significance for the nation.
Talking about the presence in Parliament, Gurjeet Singh Aujla has remained present around 86 per cent of the time. After 2019, Gurjeet Singh Aujla raised 95 per cent of questions in Parliament for the development of his constituency and the country. He has also participated in several debates.
Now, let’s discuss the MP Fund, which allocates 5 crores annually to a Member of Parliament for development work in their constituency. Gurjeet Singh Aujla has utilized 93 per cent of the MP Fund. Looking at the special contributions in the last 5 years, Gurjeet Singh Aujla has a notable 60 per cent special contribution.
So, based on the presence in Parliament, the number of questions, MP Fund utilization, and special contributions, Gurjeet Singh Aujla scores 1 at 0.83, which is 83 per cent, placing him in the top position.
When it comes to parliamentary performance during election time, the real measure is what the public thinks about their MP on the ground. India News conducted a survey asking questions to the people of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, and the results are crucial for understanding public opinion.
The response to our 6 questions from the people of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency reflects their honest opinions. Many believe that the MP’s work used to be more visible earlier, but the focus on development in the constituency has decreased.
The public in Amritsar wanted to see their MP more active in the local area because they had high expectations from their representative. However, some people seem satisfied with the MP’s work. Regarding the voting question, the public’s opinion in the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency seems mixed, with approximately 48 per cent giving him less than an average rating.
In the India News survey, questions were asked to the people of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, and the same questions were asked in our survey, focusing on the MP’s performance. The ground reality needs to be considered. Seeing the MP’s performance on the ground, the public in the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency gives Gurjeet Singh Aujla a rating of 1 at 0.55, which is more than average.
Parliamentary performance, ground-level work, and the score from the India News survey on social media are now evident. In the social media survey, Gurjeet Singh Aujla scored 1 at 0.60, which is a decent 60 per cent. The public on social media in the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency seems to favour the MP.
Considering the work done in Parliament, such as attendance, the number of questions, utilization of the MP Fund, and special contributions, Gurjeet Singh Aujla scores 1 at 0.83. Evaluating ground-level work performance, he scores 1 at 0.55.
In the social media survey, he scores 1 at 0.60. Combining these scores, Gurjeet Singh Aujla gets 10 at 5.34, which is more than average but less than 60 per cent. Therefore, the people of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency have given Gurjeet Singh Aujla a mixed report card – FIFTY-FIFTY, indicating that they are neither fully supporting nor rejecting him.
Engaging with thousands of people in the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, India News has brought forth these figures. After talking to people from various backgrounds such as women, men, farmers, labourers, students, and businessmen, it is intriguing to note that Gurjeet Singh Aujla appears to be fifty-fifty in terms of public perception.