Before every election, there is a period of promises, and after the results, discussions of victory and defeat. But amidst these promises and results, every assembly constituency in Punjab has its own distinct story, identity, and a specific political mood. That is why, to understand this ground reality and the voice of the people, an election journey across all 117 assembly seats of Punjab has been started. Notably, the first phase of this election journey begins from the most important constituency of the city of Gurus, Amritsar—‘Amritsar Central’ (Constituency No. 17).
Heartbeat of the City: Religious, Historical, and Commercial Center
Amritsar Central is not just an assembly constituency, but the heartbeat of the entire city of Amritsar. It is a constituency where heritage, faith, trade, and Punjab’s urban politics converge in one place. Sri Harmandir Sahib, the center of faith for millions of Sikhs worldwide, is situated in this constituency. Apart from this, Jallianwala Bagh, the symbol of patriotism, and centuries-old historical markets like Hall Bazaar, Katra Jaimal Singh, and Guru Bazaar are also the pride of this constituency. The millions of devotees and tourists visiting here not only boost the local economy, but these markets are also among the biggest commercial hubs in Punjab.
Demographics and Voter Statistics
Amritsar Central is an entirely urban constituency and a crucial part of the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. This constituency is primarily inhabited by traders, small businessmen, families associated with the service sector, and a large number of youth voters. According to the voter list for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, there are a total of 1,45,401 registered voters in this constituency, which includes 76,488 male voters, 68,827 female voters, and voters of other genders. To conduct the elections smoothly, 138 polling stations were set up, while the facility to vote from home via Postal Ballot was also provided for 1,745 elderly voters above the age of 85.
Political History: Bastion of Stalwarts and the 2022 Change
The politics of this constituency has always been interesting and has given many prominent political faces to Punjab. Stalwart leaders like Balram Das Tandon and Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla of the BJP have represented this seat. On the other hand, Om Prakash Soni of the Congress was elected MLA from here five times and served as a Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in the Punjab government.
For a long time, there was a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP, but the wave of change in the 2022 assembly elections altered the history of this place. Aam Aadmi Party’s Ajay Gupta defeated Congress stalwart Om Prakash Soni by a margin of about 14,000 votes, hoisting the AAP flag here for the first time.
Voice and Problems of the Common People
Even though political equations have changed, the fundamental issues of the people remain the same today. Traffic jams, lack of parking for vehicles, broken roads, sewerage problems, and sanitation arrangements are the main challenges here. Furthermore, due to the increase in religious tourism, growing crowds and traffic management have also become a major issue.
Regarding this, local residents say that there are many issues; cleanliness, clean water, and sewerage works are not yet fully completed. While the world comes here to bow at the Guru Ghar, unfortunately, piles of garbage and blocked sewerage can be seen outside the streets. Therefore, we want Amritsar to truly be made a world-class ‘Smart City’, so that people are not just limited to Darbar Sahib but take back a positive message of the entire city.
3 Special Facts Related to Amritsar Central
⚬ Equal social balance: This is the only assembly constituency in Amritsar where the populations of the Hindu and Sikh communities are almost equal, making its politics unique.
⚬ Completely urban area: Unlike most constituencies in Punjab, neither a single village nor any agricultural land falls within the boundaries of Amritsar Central.
⚬ Absence of Akali Dal: The Akali Dal has been a major party in Punjab, but to date, no candidate from the Shiromani Akali Dal has ever won this seat. During the BJP-Akali alliance, this seat always remained with the BJP.
Watch the complete video related to this here:
Leave a Comment