Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Big boost for AAP ahead of 2024 LS polls - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Big boost for AAP ahead of 2024 LS polls

By, Chandigarh
May 13, 2023 08:53 PM IST

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party proved its mettle in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll on Saturday by routing the Congress in its Dalit bastion for the first time in 24 years

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) proved its mettle in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll on Saturday by routing the Congress in its Dalit bastion for the first time in 24 years.

The decisive win over the formidable opponent in the crucial byelection has come as a shot in the arm for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls (ANI Photo)
The decisive win over the formidable opponent in the crucial byelection has come as a shot in the arm for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls (ANI Photo)

The decisive win over the formidable opponent in the crucial byelection has come as a shot in the arm for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. The victory of AAP candidate Sushil Rinku, who trounced his nearest rival Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary of the Congress by a handsome margin of 58,691 votes, will also mark the re-entry of the party in Lok Sabha. The AAP polled 34% votes, up from 28% in the state polls, in the constituency. It also led in seven of the nine assembly segments as against four it won last year. In comparison, the party had got a minuscule 2.5% of the total votes polled in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Political observers said that besides zero electricity bills, an anti-corruption drive, and 28,000-plus jobs given by the government which worked to their advantage, the AAP’s campaign at the grassroots got tremendous traction in rural areas. AAP’s Jalandhar election in-charge and finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema credited Kejriwal’s governance model, Mann’s tireless efforts, and teamwork for the win. “People have put their stamp of approval on our government’s policies and performance, demolishing the opposition’s false propaganda,” he said. The opposition parties, particularly the Congress, targeted the AAP government over the alleged breakdown of law and order in the state.

The four-cornered contest was considered a must-win for the AAP after the shock defeat in the byelection to the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, represented by chief minister Bhagwant Mann twice – in June 2022 just three-and-a-half months after it swept to power in the state. Though AAP’s poll strategists were not very optimistic in the initial days about their prospects because the party had faced a tough fight from Congress in Doaba in the assembly polls and had a limited choice for candidates, they showed an appetite for the race. The AAP first inducted ex-MLA Sushil Rinku from the Congress, named him as the candidate and then ran a no-holds-barred election campaign. Mann and Kejriwal led the charge. The CM asked the electors for one year to serve them, stating that if his government failed to meet their expectations in one year, they could vote for whoever they wanted in the general elections next year. “The ministers, MLAs, and other party leaders went from door to door to connect with every voter. The strategy has worked,” a party leader said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    A senior assistant editor, Navneet Sharma leads the Punjab bureau for Hindustan Times. He writes on politics, public affairs, civil services and the energy sector.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On