Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, a litmus test for AAP and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

The Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election will be the first litmus test for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that formed the government in Punjab after winning 92 out of 117 seats with a thumping majority in 2022 state Assembly elections.

This is the first major election for the AAP, after state Assembly elections, and an issue of prestige for CM Bhagwant Mann, who successfully contested Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.

The by-election was necessitated after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann vacated the seat following his election in the Punjab assembly. Mann resigned from the Lok Sabha in March, 2022 after he was elected an MLA from Dhuri, an assembly segment of the Sangrur Parliamentary constituency .

To retain its bastion, the AAP is leaving no stone unturned and almost all senior leaders of the party are campaigning for its candidate Gurmail Singh Gharachon.

To ensure Gurmail Singh’s win, even AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has addressed a number of public gatherings besides holding road shows in Sangrur.

For the last over a week, CM Mann himself has been camping in Sangrur and alluring voters in the constituency by listing his government’s achievements and success of anti-corruption drive and accusing the previous Congress and SAD governments for betraying people.

The AAP has already deputed six Punjab Cabinet ministers for the election campaign in Sangrur.

Dalvir Singh Goldy is the Congress party candidate from Sangrur. Goldy lost Vidhan Sabha elections to AAP candidate in 2022. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring along with other senior Congress leaders have been campaigning in Sangrur and seeking votes for Goldy.

The BJP has fielded Kewal Singh Dhillon, a businessman who recently joined the saffron party after quitting the Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has pitched Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana, sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict.

Senior BJP leaders including state president Ashwani Sharma are campaigning for Dhillon, while SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, is the star campaigner for the SAD candidate.

Simranjit Singh Mann, President SAD (Amritsar), is also holding meetings with his party leaders and supporters.

Tuesday was the last day for the poll campaign. The polling will be held on June 23 while the counting of votes will take place on June 26.