AAP's Landslide Victory in Jalandhar West By-Polls, Mohinder Bhagat Wins by Margin of 37,000 votes

New Delhi: In a decisive outcome, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a resounding victory in the Jalandhar West Assembly by-election held on July 10. AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat defeated his closest rival, BJP nominee Sheetal Angural, by a margin exceeding 37,000 votes. Bhagat received 55,246 votes, while Angural garnered 17,921 votes. Congress nominee Surinder Kaur finished in third place with 16,757 votes, followed by SAD candidate Surjit Kaur and BSP candidate Binder Kumar with 1,242 and 734 votes, respectively.

The election results marked a massive turnaround for the AAP, which had secured only 15,000 votes in the Jalandhar West segment during the Lok Sabha elections just a month prior. The success is attributed to the intensive campaign led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who, along with his family, camped in Jalandhar for about 20 days, engaging in door-to-door outreach. The entire Cabinet's presence in Jalandhar further bolstered the party's efforts.

Mohinder Bhagat's switch from BJP to AAP proved to be a strategic move, finally enabling him to secure a seat in the Vidhan Sabha after unsuccessful attempts in 2017 and 2022. Bhagat's victory signifies a major personal and political milestone, albeit for a term of less than three years.

On the other hand, Sheetal Angural's resignation from AAP and subsequent defection to BJP backfired disastrously. Angural left the counting centre after the first three rounds, acknowledging his defeat early on.

The Congress party, which had pinned its hopes on grassroots candidate Surinder Kaur, fell short of expectations. Despite having secured 44,000 votes for Charanjit Channi in the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, the party's performance in this by-election was underwhelming, relegating them to third place. This result highlights the volatility of voter support and the challenges faced by established parties in maintaining their voter base.

The bypoll in Jalandhar was held after the seat became vacant following Angural's resignation from AAP and subsequent joining of BJP in March. The vote counting commenced at 8 AM at the Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women.