Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lost its first test of popularity on Sunday, suffering a setback in the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll. AAP candidate Gurmail Singh was defeated by Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann by 5,822 votes. It was just three months back that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party won the Assembly polls.
Mann, a 77-year-old former IPS officer, secured 2,53,154 votes against Singh’s 2,47,332. Mann dedicated his victory to the people of Sangrur, and to late actor-activist Deep Sidhu and slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. “Many used to laugh at me. They have been proved wrong,’’ he said.
AAP had engaged in vigorous campaigning, with Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal holding road shows.This outcome is in favour of the people of Punjab, and the AAP state unit, in particular, said Dr Jagrup Singh Sekhon of Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar. “If the AAP leadership does not stop interfering from Delhi, the party will have a hard time,’’ he added.
The result has also raised questions on the leadership of Bhagwant Mann, since he represented Sangrur in 2014 and 2019. Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Bajwa said this is a message from the people to Kejriwal to stop remote-controlling Punjab.
AAP Punjab spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said the AAP’s vote share has only reduced by 2 per cent, as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said AAP got 34.65 per cent votes, while BJP, Congress and Akali Dal got 9, 11 and 6 per cent share, respectively. He also cited the low voter turnout as a reason for defeat.
Biggies taste defeat in Sangrur constituencyIt is not only a setback for the AAP but also the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal. Congress candidate Dalvir Goldy came third with 79,668 votes followed by Kewal Dhillon of BJP who polled in 66,298 votes. Kamaldeep Kaur of SAD got 44,428 votes. Now, AAP has no seat left in Lok Sabha. and has 10 seats in Rajya Sabha.
