Multi-cornered contest on cards for bypoll in Punjab’s Tarn Taran

Tarn Taran, Nov 10 (PTI) A multi-cornered contest is on the cards for the bypoll to the Tarn Taran Assembly seat in Punjab to be held on Tuesday, a crucial fight before the 2027 Assembly elections in the state.

While the ruling AAP would like to retain the seat, the opposition Congress, BJP and SAD would want to register a victory in the by-election necessitated by the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June this year.

According to officials, all arrangements have been made for the bypoll for which 15 candidates are in the fray. Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, and the results will be announced on November 14.

A holiday has been declared in all government offices, boards, corporations and educational institutions in Tarn Taran in the wake of the bypoll.

There are 1,92,838 eligible voters -- 1,00,933 male, 91,897 female, and eight third-gender -- in the constituency.

A total of 222 polling stations have been set up at 114 locations, of which 60 are urban and 162 are rural, including four 'model' and three 'pink' polling booths, officials said.

Volunteers have been deployed at every polling station to assist senior citizens and persons with disabilities, they said, adding that 46 micro observers will be stationed at the sensitive centres.

Arrangements have been made for CCTV cameras and webcasting at all the polling stations, Deputy Commissioner Rahul said.

The AAP has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu, a three-time MLA from Tarn Taran who joined the ruling party in July this year.

Sandhu first won from Tarn Taran as an Independent in 2002, before clinching the seat on SAD tickets in 2007 and 2012. He unsuccessfully contested the seat as an Akali Dal nominee in 2017 and 2022.

The bypoll is seen as a litmus test for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leaders, who aggressively campaigned to retain this seat.

The ruling party would like to maintain a winning momentum after tasting victory in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll in June.

The outcome will also throw light on the popularity of AAP’s policies and schemes among the voters of the border constituency.

Stakes are also high for the Congress, which has fielded its Tarn Taran district unit chief Karanbir Singh Burj for the bypoll.

An agriculturalist and real-estate businessman, Burj is contesting elections for the first time.

The BJP has named Harjit Singh Sandhu, the president of the party’s district unit, as its candidate for the bypoll.

The election is equally crucial for SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who, along with his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, aggressively campaigned for party candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, a retired government school principal and the wife of a ‘Dharmi Fauji’.

Many Sikh soldiers who deserted the Army following Operation Blue Star in 1984 are called ‘Dharmi Fauji’. Another candidate in the fray is Independent nominee Mandeep Singh, the brother of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, an accused in the 2022 murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri.

Sandeep Singh is also an accused in an attack on three former police officers, including two convicted in a fake encounter case in Tarn Taran, inside the Patiala jail. One of the convicted former officers, Suba Singh, succumbed to his injuries on September 17.

Mandeep Singh has the backing of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) led by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, Giani Harpreet Singh-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) and some radical Sikh bodies, including the Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwala).

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP presently has 93 MLAs, Congress 16, SAD three, BJP two and the Bahujan Samaj Party one. One seat is held by an Independent. PTI CHS ARI ARI