AAP nominee loses to SAD (Amritsar)’s Simranjit Singh Mann in key Sangrur by-poll
Since 2014, Sangrur was considered a stronghold of AAP, and in the March 2022 assembly polls, the party had swept all nine segments of this Lok Sabha seat
In a major blow for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president and Khalistan ideologue Simranjit Singh Mann defeated AAP nominee Gurmail Singh in the crucial Lok Sabha by-poll from Sangrur—the home turf of chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Simranjit Singh Mann won with a margin of nearly 5,822 votes by securing 2,53,154 votes as compared to AAP candidate Gurmail Singh’s 2,47,332 votes.
With this defeat, which is a setback for the three-month-old Mann government, the AAP has lost its representation in the Lok Sabha. Mann was the only MP from AAP in the Lok Sabha, and had vacated the seat after being sworn in as Punjab chief minister earlier this year. Mann won this seat in 2014 and 2019.
Since 2014, Sangrur was considered a stronghold of AAP, and in the March 2022 assembly polls, the party had swept all nine segments of this Lok Sabha seat.
However, within three months of the formation of the government, AAP lost this crucial battle for which CM Bhagwant Mann spearheaded the campaign and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also held roadshows. This electoral loss has also dented the party’s chances in Himachal Pradesh.
In the 2022 assembly polls, the AAP not only won all nine assembly segments of Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, but also registered a record 3,74,299 lead from the nine assembly segments.
Simranjit Singh Mann posted a ‘Thank You’ note on his Facebook page. He has won an election after a gap of 29 years.
“It’s a victory of the people, who stood by me against the misrule of AAP. People have rejected the AAP within three months of formation of government. Law and order has collapsed and people are feeling unsafe, thus they punished the inexperienced AAP government. Delhi wants to control the state, and Punjabis rejected this proposition,” said leaders who had converged at the residence of Simranjit Mann.
Former IPS officer Mann struck a chord with the voters by riding on an anti-government wave after the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. Angry over the murder of Moosewala, the youth supported Simranjit Mann.
Stunned by the electoral defeat, prominent AAP leaders were not available for comment.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has congratulated Simranjit Singh Mann on the poll results.