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NEW DELHI: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab celebrated a significant victory in the Jalandhar West Assembly by-election held on July 10. AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat triumphed with a substantial margin, defeating his closest rival, BJP’s Sheetal Angural, by over 37,325 votes.
Mohinder Bhagat secured 55,246 votes, while Sheetal Angural garnered 17,921 votes. Congress candidate Surinder Kaur came in third with 16,757 votes. SAD candidate Surjit Kaur and BSP candidate Binder Kumar finished with 1,242 and 734 votes, respectively.
For the AAP, retaining the Jalandhar West seat was a crucial victory following their poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, where they won only three of the 13 seats in Punjab. This loss had raised concerns within the party’s leadership about Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s performance. The Congress had won seven Lok Sabha seats, including Jalandhar.
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The bypoll victory is seen as a vindication of Chief Minister Mann, who personally took charge of the campaign. Mann set up camp in Jalandhar, living in rented accommodation and dedicating the past 20 days to campaign efforts. This hands-on approach aimed to quell dissatisfaction among AAP MLAs and party workers regarding his leadership.
There have been talks of more than two-and-a-half dozen MLAs seeking a new chief minister and growing resentment over Mann centralizing power. Apart from being chief minister, Mann is also the party’s top functionary in the state. Several MLAs have reportedly been meeting the party’s central leadership, including Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, with their complaints.
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Aware that his political career might hinge on the bypolls, Mann pulled out all the stops. He opened a temporary office and grievance cell in Jalandhar and promised to spend two days a week there to ensure that Punjab’s Majha and Doaba regions receive adequate attention. Nearly the entire cabinet and Mann’s close family members campaigned intensively in the constituency.
The decisive win in Jalandhar West not only strengthens AAP’s position in Punjab but also solidifies Mann’s leadership within the party, addressing internal dissent and reaffirming his role as chief minister.
