Assembly-wise fight in multi-cornered Gurdaspur Lok Sabha election

Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, which comprises two border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot, was an island of Congress amidst an AAP wave across Punjab in the last assembly elections in 2022.

The sitting MP, film star Sunny Deol of BJP, is not contesting this time but his shadow looms large over the contest - because he was missing from the constituency most of the time and as a result, BJP, which has been nominating film stars from here, has fielded party worker and former three-time Sujanpur MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu this time.

He is taking on former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa of Congress, Aam Aadmi Party's sitting MLA from Batala Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi), and Shiromani Akali Dal's senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema.


In this multi-cornered contest, the election is fought assembly wise. Out of the nine assembly segments in the constituency, six are with Congress.

While BJP is counting on consolidation of Hindu votes, Congress is counting on anger among rural voters against the Centre because of farmers' protest and anti-incumbency against the AAP government in the state.

SAD's Cheema is seen as an outsider as he has done most of his politics in Rupnagar.

Babbu, who appears mildly mannered amid the loud politics of Punjab, has been patiently and calmly handing protesting farmers, describing himself as a farmer and saying that he understands their issues. In his visit to villages, Babbu has been saying he has "sympathy" with farmers and would take their genuine issues to the Centre.

Babbu, who lost from Sujanpur in last assembly polls, is being helped by Ashwini Shekhri and Fathe Singh Bajwa - who both joined BJP from Congress - for campaigning in rural areas. Former SAD leader Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, who lost to Randhawa in the assembly polls, has also joined BJP.

BJP is making the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Kartarpur Corridor that lies in this constituency as its key poll issues here.

Congress nominee Randhawa is mainly talking about building infrastructure, especially a big hospital.