Chandigarh: The upcoming May 10 by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha (reserved) seat poses a battle of prestige for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab as its result would also be seen as a verdict on the government’s performance during its first year of rule.
More so, as AAP, which had come to power in February last year with a landslide victory had lost its first by-poll to Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency, which was represented by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, could not afford another defeat ahead of 2024 elections.
Jalandhar polls
This bypoll was necessitated in the wake of death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, 76, following a cardiac arrest during Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jalandhar last year and the party has fielded his widow Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary as its candidate.
Jalandhar is Congress’ citadel as it has won this seat 14 of the total 18 times, even as it has also not lost this seat since 1999. Besides the party state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and other senior leaders, former chief ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and senior leader Navjot Singh Sidhu have been campaigning for the party candidate Karamjit Chaudhary, there since the day one.
While chief minister Bhagwant Mann and other state leaders have been canvassing for party candidate, Sushil Kumar Rinku, the AAP supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal would again be visitingJalandhar for Rinku’s campaign for three days till May 8, says party chief spokesperson Malvinder Kang.
Rinku was named as AAP candidate on April 6 a day after he joined it after getting expelled from Congress. He was Congress MLA from Jalandhar (west) and lost to AAP’s Sheetal in the 2022 assembly election.
Counting on May 13
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), backed by its ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Sukhwinder Sukhi, a two-time legislator from Banga seat (of Nawanshahr district) while the BJP has named Inder Iqbal Atwal, a former Akali leader who had recently joined the saffron party. It is BJP’s first Lok Sabha election after its long-time ally SAD snapped ties with it about three years ago.
While all the state BJP leaders are already in Jalandhar, Vijay Rupani, former Gujarat chief minister, who is state party incharge, on Wednesday campaigned for party candidate.
The AAP has been highlighting the government’s efforts to eliminate corruption and mafias and counting on the fulfilment of some of its poll promises, the opposition parties are targeting AAP over the issues of deteriorating law and order situation and its failure of fulfilling some of its key poll promises including the monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to women above 18.
The counting of votes would be held on May 13.
