4 Assembly bypolls record 63% voting

Voting for the byelections to Gidderbaha, Barnala, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak Assembly constituencies ended peacefully this evening, with 63 per cent of voters exercising their franchise.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, caught in its own internal wranglings, did not contest the byelections but it is Akali voters who will have the decisive say in the results. In Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak constituencies, local Akali leaders Raghubir Singh Pradhan and Sukhjinder Singh Langah, son of Sucha Singh Langah, asked their supporters to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party.

Though many believed that the Akali Dal would support BJP candidates, at least in Gidderbaha where Manpreet Badal is contesting on the BJP ticket, local party leaders there announced support for ex-Akali leader and AAP candidate Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon.

In Barnala, where the stakes are the highest for the ruling AAP, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia asked Akalis to vote for Govind Singh Sandhu, grandson of Simranjit Singh Mann. This, many claim, will fragment the votes, which could benefit AAP.

Though there was no formal decision from the party to support any party or candidate, leaders in each of the seats remained politically active and reportedly decided to use their votes “futuristically”, asking their supporters to vote for who they think would be the least threat to them in the 2027 Assembly polls.

At 81 per cent, the highest turnout was witnessed in Gidderbaha, followed by Dera Baba Nanak (63 per cent), Barnala (54 per cent) and Chabbewal recorded the lowest polling percentage of 53, mainly because farmers in this largely rural constituency were busy in sowing of peas and potatoes.

The bypolls, necessitated by the election of sitting MLAs of these constituencies to the Lok Sabha in June, are witnessing a direct fight between AAP and the Congress in most seats, with the BJP emerging as the third important player.

While Gidderbaha, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak were earlier represented by Congress MLAs, Barnala was the only segment represented by AAP. The BJP, riding high after wooing Dalit voters, has made it a triangular contest in both Barnala and Gidderbaha.