Raja Warring accepts people's mandate; Amrita says it's defeat of women

After the Congress lost three of the total four seats in the by-elections, PCC chief and MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said he accepts the mandate given by the public. "I congratulate all four candidates who won the bypolls today. The Congress vote bank has increased in both Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak Assembly segments," said Warring, while addressing a press conference accompanied by his wife Amrita Warring at his residence in Muktsar today.

He added, "We thought BJP candidate Manpreet Singh Badal will get 25,000 votes, but he got just about 12,000 votes. The AAP got 71,000 votes as the SAD candidate Dimpy Dhillon had switched to the AAP, and the AAP's vote bank of 2022 state polls also merged with it."

Warring further said the SAD did not contest the elections and Manpreet Singh Badal could not secure the expected votes, thus we lost in Gidderbaha. "The situation would have been different, had the SAD contested the elections. Further, the postponement of the election for eight days went against us as the government used its muscle power," said Raja Warring. He further raised questions on the postponement of elections, but at the same time said party leader Partap Bajwa had written to the Election Commission in this regard.

Warring claimed, "I am sure that people would vote Congress to power in 2027... Now, I hope Dimpy will work as per the expectations of the public and fulfill the promises he made as he belongs to the ruling party."

Meanwhile, Warring made a personal comment on Manpreet Badal by saying, "I think Manpreet Singh Badal is the most hated politician of Punjab."

Later, Amrita Warring, who lost Gidderbaha bypoll to Dimpy, said, "I accept the public's mandate, but feel sad because this was for the first time that any political party had fielded a woman candidate in Gidderbaha. This is a defeat of women. However, I am thankful to the voters and God. Now, this is the time for Dimpy Dhillon to perform and fulfill all the promises made by him during the election campaign. I have learnt a lot from this election."