Punjab bypoll: AAP’s Mohinder Bhagat wins Jalandhar West seat
Bhagat has defeated Sheetal Angural, who had quit as AAP legislator in March to join BJP, by 37,725 votes.
In a boost to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab after the Lok Sabha election debacle, its nominee Mohinder Bhagat won the Jalandhar West byelection by 37,725 votes. With the landslide victory, the AAP retained the seat. Bhagat joined AAP last year after snapping ties with BJP during Jalandhar Lok Sabha byoll.
Bhagat, the son of former cabinet minister and BJP veteran Chunni Lal Bhagat, polled 55,246 votes, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sheetal Angural bagged 17,921 votes and Congress’ Surinder Kaur got 16,757 votes. Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Surjit Kaur polled 1,242 votes and BSP’s Binder Kumar Lakha got 734 votes.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann led the AAP campaign. Mann’s leadership was being questioned after the AAP managed to win only three of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state in June. To ensure the AAP retained the seat, Mann not only spearheaded the campaign but also acted as his poll manager and strategist. He shifted to Jalandhar following the announcement of the bypoll and ensured all his MLAs and MPs were stationed in all 23 wards in the constituency.
The byelection was necessitated after Angural quit as AAP MLA in March in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Mohinder Bhagat, who had contested unsuccessfully from this segment in 2017 and 2022, maintained the lead in all 13 rounds of counting.
The AAP got 58.39% of the votes, while the BJP got 18.94%, the Congress 17.71% and the Shiromani Akali Dal 1.31%.
Congratulating Bhagat and all the party workers, Mann said: “Such a big victory margin shows that people of the state are very happy with the AAP government’s works. As promised, we will make Jalandhar West the ‘best’ assembly segment in the state,” Mann said.
“I will ensure that all promises made during the campaign related to the development of Jalandhar West will be fulfilled. I am thankful to Punjab CM Mann for showing faith in me,” Bhagat said.
Setback for BJP, Congress
The election result came as a setback to both the BJP and the Congress. In last month’s Lok Sabha elections, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi of the Congress defeated BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku by 1.75 lakh votes.
However, the Congress failed to build on its electoral gains a month later. Senior leaders including Channi, PPCC Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa campaigned for Surinder Kaur but failed to gain any traction with the voters.
Channi said the AAP won this election using ‘money and muscle power’.
“The election was not fought by Bhagat but by the entire state government. The AAP and CM Mann have set a new precedent of misusing government machinery, including civil and police administration. They have ensured the victory of AAP to remain in the good books of their political leaders,” Channi said.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s bid to retain its old citadel as Bhagat’s father Chunni Lal Bhagat remained a three-time MLA from here also failed.
BJP state president Sunil Jakhar said the party accepts people’s verdict and hopes that the AAP will fulfil the promises made to the people of Jalandhar and Punjab.
“We are hopeful that the state government would start development works in Punjab, would work to improve law and order situation, curb corrupt AAP leaders and provide good governance to people of the state,” Jakhar said. Union Minister of state for railways and food processing Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that AAP “misused government machinery to win the bypoll and it was like using cannon to kill a fly.”
“Satisfied that BJP has performed better than Congress. Congress lost the public’s faith in just two weeks after winning the Jalandhar LS seat. It is clear now that people have given preference to BJP after AAP,” Bittu said, adding, “AAP won the seat by coercing voters, using unfair means, misusing government machinery particularly blatant misuse of police force.”
Lesson for turncoats: Sanjay Singh
Sharing a picture of Rinku and Angural, both of who switched from the AAP to the BJP, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said that the people of Jalandhar had taught turncoats a lesson.
Taking a jibe a Sanjay Singh, Congress MLA Pargat Singh said that AAP should also learn that leaders inducted from other parties using power and money can be bought by anyone else. “Rinku joined AAP from Congress, Sheetal jumped to BJP and newly elected MLA comes from BJP,” Pargat said.
Embarrassment for SAD
The results came as an embarrassment for the Shiromani Akali Dal as its candidate Surjit Kaur polled only 1,242 votes. She was supported by SAD’s rebel group after party president Sukhbir Singh Badal withdrew support to her and chose to back the Bahujan Samaj Party. BSP candidate Lakha got only 734 votes.