Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann, in a neck to neck fight, has reportedly defeated its rival candidate Gurmail Singh by a narrow margin of over 7,000 votes.
Chandigarh: In a major setback to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab as Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann on Sunday defeated its candidate Gurmail Singh in Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll. The seat was earlier held by Bhagwant Mann and was vacated after his elevation as Punjab Chief Minister after massive victory of Aam Aadmi Party in state assembly elections in February this year.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann, in a neck to neck fight, has reportedly defeated its rival candidate Gurmail Singh by a narrow margin of over 7,000 votes. Winning Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate is a former MP and chief of the party. He is not associated with Akali Dal of Paraksh Singh Badal.
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Besides, Siromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and AAP, BJP, Akali Dal, Congress had also fielded their candidates in the fray. Cngress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy, BJP candidate Kewal Dhillon and the Akali Dal candidate Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana secured third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively. A total of 16 candidates were contesting from Sagrur Lok Sabha constituency, considered as a stronghold of the ruling AAP as the state chief minister Bhagwant Mann had registered victory on this seat in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Though the voting percentage was just 45.30 per cent as against 72.44 per cent polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 76.71 per cent in 2014 polls, the fight was being considered easy for the ruling party. Since, AAp’s victory on 2022 state elections, this was the first electoral battle for the party which it lost with a small margin. Secodly, the election was battle of prestige for the party as it was vacated by its two time MP and the sitting chief minister of the state. The party had fielded Sangrur district in-charge Gurnail Singh with hopes that it will retain the seat without facing tough opposition.
