Punjab bypoll: Counting of votes for Jalandhar West assembly seat underway

Jalandhar: Counting of votes for the Jalandhar West assembly bypoll in Punjab was underway on Saturday. Polling in the seat took place on Wednesday and a voter turnout of 54.98 per cent was recorded, a sharp drop from the 67 per cent the assembly segment saw in the 2022 state elections.

Votes are being counted at a centre set up at the Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women here and the process began at 8 am, officials said.

The Jalandhar West (Reserve) assembly constituency saw a multi-cornered contest among major political outfits like the ruling AAP in Punjab, the Congress and the BJP.


Fifteen candidates were in the fray.

The seat fell vacant after Sheetal Angural resigned as the AAP legislator and joined the BJP in March.

The AAP fielded Mohinder Bhagat, the son of former minister and former BJP MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal, for the bypoll.

The Congress placed its bet on Surinder Kaur, a former senior deputy mayor and a four-time municipal councillor of Jalandhar.

The BJP fielded Angural, who had won this seat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls on an AAP ticket.

Though the Shiromani Akali Dal had fielded Surjit Kaur for the bypoll, the Sukhbir Badal-led outfit later withdrew its support and disowned her. She was picked as the party's candidate by a panel, two members of which rebelled against Badal.

The SAD had also announced support Bahujan Samaj Party nominee Binder Kumar for the bypoll.

However, a section of SAD leaders, who revolted against Badal, supported Surjit Kaur in the bypoll. PTI CHS VSD ANB ANB