Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll Results: AAP takes huge lead in key Jalandhar election, Congress concedes defeat
Chandigarh, May 13: The Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, which has been a stronghold of the Congress party for the past 24 years, was won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with a huge margin of over 58,000 votes.
In the by-polls held for this seat, four political parties contested against each other. Sushil Kumar Rinku, a former MLA from the Jalandhar West constituency, who had switched sides from Congress to AAP, emerged victorious. He defeated his closest opponent, Karamjit Kaur, who was fielded by Congress.
Karamjit was the wife of Santokh Chaudhary, whose sudden death during the Bharat Jodo Yatra necessitated the by-poll. The AAP's triumph in the election signifies a significant shift in the political scenario of the region.
The Jalandhar seat fell vacant after the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jalandhar's Phillaur in January this year.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring conceded defeat and congratulated the AAP and its candidate Sushil Rinku.
"We humbly accept people's mandate! I thank party workers, volunteers, supporters and the entire @INCPunjab leadership, for the hard work & efforts put in by them for the #JalandharByElection. I congratulate Sushil Rinku & AAP party for the victory," Amrinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted.
We humbly accept people's mandate! I thank party workers, volunteers, supporters and the entire @INCPunjab leadership, for the hard work & efforts put in by them for the #JalandharByElection. I congratulate Sushil Rinku & AAP party for the victory. — Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) May 13, 2023
AAP had, 2,91,433 votes, as it steadily widened the gap with Congress which had 2,34,025 votes. The Akali-BSP combine was third with 1,51,136, and the BJP in the fourth place with 1,32,438 votes. More than three-fourth of the total votes have been counted.
BJP has fielded Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, a Dalit Sikh, who quit the Shiromani Akali Dal to join the saffron party. SAD's Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi is being backed by the BSP.
The Jalandhar seat fell vacant after the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary. He suffered a cardiac arrest during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jalandhar's Phillaur in January this year.
Also Read: Karnataka poll results: Congress leads with over 100 seats in early trends of Assembly elections
- With inputs from agencies
