Chandigarh: A voter turnout of 63.91% was recorded in the by-elections for Punjab’s four assembly segments, with Gidderbaha witnessing the highest polling at 81.90%, officials announced on Thursday.

By-Election Details

Polling was held on Wednesday for the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC), and Barnala assembly segments. The elections were necessitated after the sitting legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Out of 6.96 lakh eligible voters across these constituencies, 4.45 lakh exercised their franchise, including 2.15 lakh women voters, according to officials.

The segment-wise polling percentages are as follows:

• Gidderbaha: 81.90%
• Dera Baba Nanak: 64.01%
• Barnala: 56.34%
• Chabbewal: 53.43%

In comparison, the 2022 assembly polls had higher voter turnouts: Gidderbaha (84.93%), Dera Baba Nanak (73.70%), Barnala (71.45%), and Chabbewal (71.19%).

Key Contenders and Political Dynamics

The main contesting parties in these bypolls were the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and BJP. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chose not to participate.

Prominent candidates included:

• AAP: Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and Ishank Kumar Chabbewal
• Congress: Amrita Warring and Jatinder Kaur
• BJP: Manpreet Singh Badal, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal, and Ravikaran Singh Kahlon

Notably, Amrita Warring is the wife of Congress’ Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Jatinder Kaur is married to Gurdaspur MP and former deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Current Assembly Strength

The AAP holds a strong position in the Punjab Assembly with 91 MLAs out of 117. The Congress has 15 MLAs, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (3), BJP (2), and Bahujan Samaj Party (1).

The results of the by-elections will likely influence the state’s political dynamics, especially with AAP’s dominance being challenged by Congress and BJP in key constituencies.