Listen To This Post

Chandigarh:  Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran is set for a high-stakes, multi-cornered bypoll on November 11, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) striving to retain the seat and the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) each eyeing a political comeback in the region.

The bypoll, necessitated by the death of the sitting AAP MLA, Kashmir Singh Sohal, in June, has drawn 15 candidates into the fray. It will test the ruling party’s ability to hold ground amid growing opposition attacks and shifting political loyalties in Punjab’s volatile Majha belt.

AAP Banks on Turncoat Veteran

The AAP, which has won five of the six bypolls held since it came to power in March 2022, has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu, a seasoned politician and three-time MLA from Tarn Taran.

Sandhu joined the AAP in July this year, following stints as an Independent and later as a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator. He represented Tarn Taran as an Independent in 2002 and won again on an Akali ticket in 2007 and 2012, but lost in 2017 and 2022.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and party leaders Manish Sisodia, along with others, held extensive campaign rallies, projecting Sandhu as a local strongman with administrative experience.

Kejriwal urged voters to back the AAP candidate “to accelerate development in the border region,” while Mann’s wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, and his mother led door-to-door campaigns on the final day, appealing for votes in the name of the government’s “pro-people policies.”

Congress Bets on New Face

The Congress, looking to regain its lost foothold, has fielded Karanbir Singh Burj, district unit president and first-time contender. An agriculturist and real estate businessman, Burj has been backed by the party’s top brass, including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

During the campaign, Warring hit out at the AAP government over “lawlessness, drug menace, and gangsterism,” but found himself mired in controversy over alleged casteist remarks against former Union minister Buta Singh, for which he later apologised.

SAD Fields ‘Dharmi Fauji’ Widow

The Shiromani Akali Dal is pinning its hopes on Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, a retired school principal and wife of a “Dharmi Fauji” — one of the Sikh soldiers who had deserted the Army after Operation Blue Star in 1984.

Randhawa, who merged her Azad Group with the SAD in July, is seen as the party’s attempt to consolidate the Panthic vote. Party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal spearheaded a spirited campaign accusing the Mann government of vendetta politics.

Tensions spiked after the SAD’s complaint led to the suspension of Tarn Taran SSP Ravjot Kaur Grewal by the Election Commission over alleged misuse of police machinery against Akali workers.

BJP Seeks Foothold in the Border Zone

For the BJP, the bypoll presents a chance to test its post-2022 realignment in Punjab politics. The party has nominated Harjit Singh Sandhu, its Tarn Taran district president and former Akali leader.

Top BJP leaders, including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Delhi Minister Manjinder  Sirsa, and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, campaigned aggressively, accusing the AAP of “ruining both Delhi and Punjab.” Haryana CM Saini said voters were “disillusioned with the AAP’s misrule” and that the BJP stood for “development and good governance.”

Radical Support in Play

Adding an unpredictable dimension to the contest is Independent candidate Mandeep Singh, brother of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, an accused in the 2022 murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri.

Mandeep has secured the backing of several radical Sikh groups, including the Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Giani Harpreet Singh-led SAD (Punar Surjit), Simranjit Singh Mann’s SAD (Amritsar), and the Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale).

Given Tarn Taran’s proximity to the border and history of militancy-linked undercurrents, observers believe his candidature could influence sections of the Panthic electorate.

Security and Voting Arrangements

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said foolproof security arrangements have been made for the bypoll, with 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployed — one of the largest deployments in any bypoll in recent years.

The constituency has 192,838 voters, including 100,933 men, 91,897 women, and eight third-gender voters, spread across 222 polling stations at 114 locations — 60 urban and 54 rural. Polling will take place on November 11 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while the counting of votes will be held on November 14.

Litmus Test for AAP’s Dominance

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, AAP currently holds 93 seats, followed by Congress (16), SAD (3), BJP (2), BSP (1), and one Independent. While the result won’t alter the government’s numbers, the Tarn Taran bypoll carries symbolic significance — seen as a litmus test of AAP’s rural popularity in the Majha region, and a barometer of opposition revival ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.