TARN TARAN: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu has secured victory in the by-election for the Tarn Taran Assembly constituency. The ruling party’s candidate polled 42,649 votes, defeating Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who garnered 30,558 votes. The margin of victory stood at 12,091 votes.
Independent candidate Mandeep Singh Khalsa, supported by Waris Punjab De and other Panthic parties, came third with 19,620 votes. Karanbir Singh Burj of the Indian National Congress (Congress) secured 15,078 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Harjit Singh Sandhu, polled 6,239 votes and placed fifth. Neetu Shatranwala finished eighth with 464 votes.
Counting of votes began at 8 a.m. in the halls of Mai Bhago International College of Nursing in Piddi, Tarn Taran, and was completed across 16 phases. Fourteen counters in the main hall handled EVM votes while seven additional tables processed postal ballots. The turnout for the by-poll stood at 60.95 per cent.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann congratulated Harmeet Singh Sandhu, saying the “resounding victory” in Tarn Taran showed the people’s preference for the politics of work. AAP national leader Arvind Kejriwal described the win as historic, saying it confirmed the people of Punjab were satisfied with AAP’s performance and leadership.
The seat became vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June. This marks the seventh by-election in Punjab since March 2022 and the fifth out of six that the AAP has won. Harmeet Singh Sandhu, a three-time former MLA for Tarn Taran, had joined AAP in July after having served previously as an independent and SAD candidate.
