Raja Warring asks Congress workers to be battle-ready for Gidderbaha bypoll

Archit Watts

Gidderbaha, June 14

As Gidderbaha is set to witness a bypoll, three-time Gidderbaha MLA-cum-Punjab Pradesh Congress Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has already appealed to the Congress workers here to be battle-ready and prepare the lists of those people who are annoyed with him or the party. Notably, this seat is falling vacant as Warring has won the Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana and the by-election of this Assembly segment would be held within six months after he submits his resignation as an MLA.

During his recent visit to Gidderbaha, Warring said, “We will start holding meetings in the next ten days in Gidderbaha. You all now make lists of those annoyed with me or the party and then I will meet all of them. We will not let anyone else win Gidderbaha. I have the contact numbers of all the party workers in Gidderbaha and thank them who worked in the Lok Sabha election for the party candidate in my absence.”

Notably, since 2012, the Congress has lagged behind in just two Lok Sabha elections from Gidderbaha i.e. in 2019 and 2024. In the Assembly elections held in 2012, 2017, 2022 and the Lok Sabha election in 2014, the Congress has always got a lead from Gidderbaha.

However, the recently held Lok Sabha election results have come as a shocker for the Congress in this particular Assembly constituency. The Congress got third position here with 20,273 votes polled to its Faridkot candidate Amarjit Kaur Sahoke, while Independent candidate Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa got maximum 32,423 votes and the Aam Aadmi Party candidate Karamjit Singh Anmol got 20,310 votes. The SAD has always performed well in this constituency, but its Faridkot candidate Rajwinder Singh Dharamkot this time got 19,791 votes from this constituency and got fourth position. The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Faridkot Hans Raj Hans got 14,850 votes from Gidderbaha.

Now, the Shiromani Akali Dal workers are urging their party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to contest from Gidderbaha. While Warring’s wife Amrita is likely to become the Congress nominee from here, Aam Aadmi Party may field some local leader, BJP may field Manpreet Singh Badal who had become active in the constituency just before the Lok Sabha elections, and an Independent backed by newly elected MP Faridkot Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa may also contest the by-election. “It will be a five-cornered and tough contest this time. Warring’s wife is the likely candidate of the Congress, but she may have to face some problem in getting the ticket due to ‘one family, one ticket’ rule of the party,” said a Congress leader.

Congress 3rd in segment in ls polls

In Gidderbaha this time, the Congress got third position with 20,273 votes polled to its Faridkot candidate Amarjit Kaur Sahoke, while Independent candidate Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa got maximum 32,423 votes and the AAP candidate Karamjit Anmol got 20,310 votes. The SAD has always performed well in this constituency, but its Faridkot candidate Rajwinder Singh Dharamkot got 19,791 votes from this constituency, ending fourth. The BJP candidate from Faridkot Hans Raj Hans got 14,850 votes from Gidderbaha segment.