Chandigarh, Feb 27 (UNI) Congress president Shamsher Singh Dullo and former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur (SAD) were among several prominent losers in the Punjab assembly elections.

While the Congress chief was defeated by a greenhorn Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Vikramjit Singh in Khanna (Reserved), the SGPC chief was humbled by three-time loser Sukhpal Singh Kaira of the Congress in Bholath constituency.

Another Congress heavyweight Industries Minister Avtar Henry lost to first-time contestant K D Bhandari of the BJP in Jalandhar North.

Other ministers of the Amarinder Singh government who had to bite the dust included IT Minister Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Public Health Minister Harnam Dass Johar, Transport Minister Raghunath Sahai, Local Bodies Minister Ch Jagjit Singh, Animal Husbandry Minister Jagmohan Singh Kang, Technical Education Minister Ramesh Chander Dogra, Excise and Taxation Minister Sardul Singh, Forests Minister Hans Raj Joshan, Horticultre Minister Rakesh Kumar Pande.

Deputy Speaker Darbari Lal (Cong) also tasted defeat in the Amritsar (Central) constituency.

Among the prominent SAD leaders were Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Kuldeep Singh Wadala, Tota Singh, Gurdev Singh Badal and Harmel Singh Tohra, son-in-law of late SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann and his son Imaan Singh also lost the elections.

Others who faced defeat were BJP veteran Madan Mohan Mittal and state BSP chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri.

UNI