Parties gearing up for Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission could anytime announce dates for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. The seat fell vacant after the sudden death of Congress leader and Member of Parliament Santokh Chaudhry last month.
All major political parties in Punjab have started preparations for the by-election. Congress, BJP, AAP and Akali Dal have started selecting the best candidate to clinch the seat. This election is seen as a significant challenge for AAP. Last year, AAP won the Punjab Assembly elections by securing 92 seats and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann was made CM of Punjab.
Later, the Sangrur seat went for by-elections, AAP lost the seat to Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), and Khalistan sympathiser Simranjit Singh Mann became MP from Sangrur. Now, the Jalandhar by-election is seen as the ultimate challenge for AAP to prove its mettle in Punjab politics.
Karamjit Kaur, wife of Santokh Chaudhry, is at the forefront for the Congress ticket from Jalandhar Lok Sabha. According to sources in the Punjab Congress, former CM of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi is also lobbying for the ticket. “Party has made up its mind; Karamjit Kaur would get the ticket,” said a Punjab Congress functionary. Sympathy votes might help Karamjit Kaur in bringing the seat again into Congress’ fold.
According to various reports, infighting has surfaced in the Jalandhar Congress unit; a faction of Congress leaders is supporting Channi because Channi has a good grip on Dalit religious leaders.
The BJP, which is trying to find a base in the state, has also started preparations. This time, the saffron party will go alone for the Lok Sabha bypoll after 27 years. According to sources, three names are doing rounds for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha ticket. Former Union minister and current chairman of the national SC/ST commission Vijay Sampla, BJP Punjab general Secretary Rajesh Bagga and former Congress leader and now BJP leader Raj Kumar Verka are in the race for the ticket.
Shiromani Akali Dal and BSP forged an alliance before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, but the Akali-BSP alliance only got four seats. Three were won by Akali Dal and one by BSP. BSP is planning to file its candidate for the seat. According to talks in political circles of Punjab, BSP may give the ticket to Balwinder Kumar. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Balwinder Kumar got more than two lakh votes.
The Jalandhar Lok Sabha consists of nine Assembly seats. In 2019, Santokh Singh Chaudhry won this seat by securing 3,85,712 votes and a 37.90% vote share. Charanjeet Singh Atwal of SAD secured the second position with 3,66,221 votes and a 35.90% vote share. Balwinder Kumar of BSP got 2,04,783 votes and AAP’s Justice (Retd.) Jora Singh got 25,467 votes.