Punjab's Tarn Taran Assembly by-election is set for a multi-cornered contest. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hopes to hold onto the seat, while major rivals—the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the BJP—are all looking to make gains.
The AAP has won five of the six bypolls in Punjab since it came to power in March 2022. The Tarn Taran seat was previously held by its late MLA, Kashmir Singh Sohal, and fell vacant following his death in June.
There are a total of 15 candidates in the fray.
Candidates -
AAP has fielded turncoat Harmeet Singh Sandhu. A three-time MLA from Tarn Taran, who joined the Aam Aadmi Party in July this year. He was elected to the assembly from Tarn Taran as an Independent in 2002 and in 2007 and 2012 on a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. He unsuccessfully contested elections for the seat in 2017 and 2022. Sohal won the seat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, with over 13,000 votes.
AAP national supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, party state in-charge Manish Sisodia, and several other leaders campaigned for Harmeet Singh Sandhu.
Congress has fielded its Tarn Taran district unit committee chief, Karanbir Singh Burj, from the seat. For the first time in elections, Burj is an agriculturalist and a real estate businessman. Congress leaders, including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, campaigned for Burj.
Meanwhile, SAD fielded 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". Sukhwinder became part of SAD after merging her Azad Group with the party in July.
The BJP has picked its Tarn Taran district unit Chief, Harjit Singh Sandhu. Prior to joining the BJP in 2022, Sandhu was with the SAD.
Another candidate who will be important to watch in the bypoll is Mandeep Singh, a political greenhorn contesting as an Independent. He is the brother of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, an accused in the 2022 murder case 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 Patiala jail. Mandeep has the support of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), 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).
The constituency has 1,92,838 eligible voters, comprising 1,00,933 men, 91,897 women, and eight third-gender individuals. Officials confirmed that 222 polling stations have been established across 114 locations, with 60 being urban and 162 rural.
Security in check -
Comprehensive security measures are in place for the upcoming bypoll, scheduled for November 11, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C announced on Sunday. At least 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in the assembly constituency, marking one of the largest CAPF deployments ever made by the Election Commission for bypolls.
According to the plan, all 114 polling station locations, encompassing 222 polling stations, will be secured by CAPF personnel.
In addition to the CAPF presence, all polling stations will be equipped with CCTV cameras and webcasting facilities, which will be monitored closely by the returning officer, the district election officer, and the chief electoral officer, under the overall supervision of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The CEO confirmed that all essential minimum facilities have been provided at each polling stations. He emphasised that any violations of law and order will be dealt with strictly by the election authorities. He urged voters to exercise their right to vote freely and without fear.
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