Chandigarh: Stage seemed set for a high voltage multi-corner contest in Tarn Taran assembly bypoll, with the top leaders of ruling Aap Aadmi Party (AAP), and the major rival parties, namely, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP making frantic efforts to woo the voters on the last day of campaigning on Sunday.
A total of 15 candidates are in the fray for the bypoll which was necessitated by the death of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June.
While the top AAP leaders including chief minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal canvassed for party candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu highlighting AAP government’s initiatives for education, health services, free power supply and infrastructure, the rival leaders tore into AAP for what they alleged, deteriorating law and order situation and rampant corruption.
Several senior leaders including the state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who held several rallies and meetings for party candidate Karanbir Singh Burj, held that only Congress can ensure equality and stability in the state.
All the senior SAD leaders including party chief Sukhbir Badal who extensively campaigned for SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa and accused AAP government of misusing government machinery and police for political benefits.
Several senior BJP leaders including Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini, Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who also extensively campaigned for party candidate Harjit Singh Sandhu, accused AAP of first ``ruining’’ Delhi and now Punjab.
KEY STATS
POLL DATE: Nov 11, Result: Nov 14
VOTERS: 1.92 lakh voters, 1 lakh male, 91.8K female, 8 third gender
Central armed Police Forces (CAPF): 12 companies
Polling stations: 222 at 114 locations (including over a dozen in border villages)
Vulnerable polling stations: 100
Micro observers: 46
