Jalandhar West Bypoll: Fate of 15 candidates sealed

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, July 10

The fate of 15 candidates contesting for the Jalandhar West bypoll was sealed in EVMs here today. The results will be declared on Saturday. The segment witnessed a voter turnout of 55 per cent.

In the Lok Sabha elections held on June 1, the segment recorded a voter turnout of 64 per cent. As many as 1.1 lakh electorates out of a total of 1.71 lakh voters had cast their ballot from this segment in the recently held LS elections.

Though a clear picture would emerge around noon on July 13, it is assumed that the dip in the vote percentage could have given some benefit to the ruling party in the state.

Soon after the polling, parties thanked voters. CM Bhagwant Mann, who camped in the city for more than two weeks, wrote on his ‘X’ account, “Heartfelt thanks to the voters of Jalandhar West. You fulfilled your responsibility by stepping out of your house and casting your vote in a peaceful and disciplined manner.”

PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, along with other party leaders, went to a gurdwara for thanksgiving. BJP candidate Sheetal Angural took to FB to thank voters for supporting him through the campaign.

EVMs have been kept in strong rooms amid tight security. A close perusal of the trends of voting in the previous elections suggests that there has been a huge fluctuation in the pattern in the past three elections. In the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls and 2023 LS bypoll, AAP remained a clear winner with 39K votes and 35K votes, respectively. In the Lok Sabha elections held last month, the tally came down to 15K only. A resurgence of AAP is expected for sure but what remains to be seen is whether more votes swing to it from the Congress side or the BJP vote bank.

97-year-old woman casts vote

Prakash Kaur, a 97-year-old woman who came to cast her vote in an auto-rickshaw allegedly arranged by AAP, stated that she never misses an election. She expressed hope that her chosen candidate would win and deliver on the promises. Kaur emphasised that voting is a moral duty, urging all residents to participate in the electoral process.

64% turnout in 2024 Ls poll

In the Lok Sabha elections held on June 1, the segment recorded a voter turnout of 64 per cent.