As Aam Aadmi Party breached the Congress stronghold in Punjab with its candidate Sushil Rinku defeating his nearest rival and the grand old party’s nominee Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll by a margin of 58,691 votes, party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal hailed the victory as ‘historic’ and said it is people’s recognition of the good work done by chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his government in Punjab.
The win gives the ruling AAP in Punjab and Delhi its only member in the Lok Sabha. The AAP has not had a member in the lower house since its defeat in Sangrur bypoll last year, though it has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha.
“It’s an unprecedented victory because of the Mann government’s good work. Our party candidate is winning from the seat which was a Congress stronghold for the last 50 years,” Kejriwal said in a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi.
The Jalandhar seat fell vacant following the death of Karamjit Kaur’s husband and Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January. The much-needed victory has also come as a shot in the arm for the Aam Aadmi Party as the bypoll was being seen as a litmus test for the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit which had faced a drubbing in the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll last year, just three months after it stormed to power in Punjab in March 2022.
“We do of politics of work and seek votes from people for our work, and people have put a stamp on Bhagwant Mann government’s work saying ‘we are with you’... This is a big message,” the Delhi chief minister said.
{{/usCountry}}“We do of politics of work and seek votes from people for our work, and people have put a stamp on Bhagwant Mann government’s work saying ‘we are with you’... This is a big message,” the Delhi chief minister said.
{{/usCountry}}Mann, who was with Kejriwal, said the bypoll result is the people’s “positive stamp” on the work done by his government in the state so far.
“The election result has increased our responsibility and my confidence. We will work much harder for the development of Punjab,” Mann said, hoping that AAP will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab next year.
Taking on his rivals Mann said, “Good luck to those, who abused us and made objectionable comments against us. Now, they also must realise that people do not pay attention to such things. People want good education for their children, jobs for their children, free treatment to elderly.”
“Instead of the politics of mudslinging, we should talk about development. I hope those who have lost will change their line and agenda in the coming days,” Mann added.
Cheema, who was the AAP’s election in-charge for the bypoll, said it was the party’s first victory after it was recognised as a national party last month.
“People voted on the basis of Mohalla Clinics, Schools of Eminence, 300 units of free electricity and corruption-free governance provided by the AAP government,” Cheema said.
Kejriwal said his party, despite an AAP wave during the 2022 assembly polls in Punjab, could win four out of the nine assembly segments in Jalandhar and the rest were won by the Congress.
“It was considered as Congress party’s stronghold as we could win only four assembly seats out of nine assembly segments (in Jalandhar parliamentary seat) during (AAP’s) wave (last year). Today, we won seven on nine assembly segments,” he added.