NEW DELHI: Before all attention turns to the high decibel electioneering in UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand go to polls on Monday with no clear winners in sight.

While their relatively small size do not allow grand narratives to unfold, Punjab this time has been characterized by fratricidal skirmishes on both sides on the divide. If the ruling Akalis have Sukhbir Badal against Manpreet and Parkash Singh Badal against Gurdas Badal, Congress has Amarinder Singh against Malvinder.

Congress would, however, take heart in the fact that Punjab has never voted a party back to power in over four decades and the Sukhbir-Manpreet spat is more than likely to cost the Akalis some votes, if not seats.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, the campaign was spiced up this time with Team Anna going around praising CM B C Khanduri for the Lokayukta law and questioning the stand of other parties.

While the BJP is battling rebels with ex-CM Ramesh Pokhriyal seen as a spoiler, the Congress is worried at the last-minute announcement of veteran N D Tiwari that he wouldn’t mind a parting shot at the chief ministership. This has muddied the waters somewhat for the party hoping to wrest the hill state from the BJP.