Tarn Taran by-election announced in Punjab: Voting on November 11, counting on 14

The Election Commission of India (October 6) announced the date for the by-election in Tarn Taran, Punjab. Voting will take place on November 11th, and counting will take place on November 14th.

All major parties have announced their candidates before the election announcement. The election code of conduct also came into effect with the election announcement. This seat fell vacant about three months ago following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal.

Read about the candidates from four major parties...

1. AAP gives opportunity to a defector
For the Tarn Taran by-election in Punjab, the four major parties: Congress, AAP, Akali Dal, and BJP have fielded their candidates. Among them, AAP has once again given a chance to a defector. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced Harmeet Sandhu as the candidate last Friday. He left the Akali Dal and joined the AAP.

The AAP, which won 92 out of 117 seats in 2022, fielded leaders from other parties in most of the by-elections in Punjab, and they won. Before Tarn Taran, the AAP won three seats in the by-elections.

2. Congress chose a traditional leader
Congress has nominated Karanbir Singh Burj from this constituency. Burj is the former vice president of the Congress Farmers' Cell and a senior Congress leader in the district. He has also served as the state vice president of the Congress Farmers' Cell. Burj hails from the Tarn Taran region and has consistently raised local issues and farmer concerns in the area. He is considered a supporter and close associate of senior Punjab Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa.

3. BJP also gave ticket to a former Akali
The BJP has nominated Harjeet Singh Sandhu, a former Akali and Youth Akali leader. He has served as the district president of the BJP Tarn Taran since December 2022. He is considered to have a strong hold on local politics and organization. She began her political career in 2007 with the youth wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, but joined the BJP before the 2022 assembly elections.

4. The Akali Dal has joined forces with the Azad Group.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has nominated Principal Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa as its candidate in the Tarn Taran by-election. She is known as a prominent leader of the "Azad Group." Under her leadership, the local group contested the local body elections, resulting in 43 sarpanches, 8 municipal council councilors, and several former chairmen joining her. Therefore, her support base is considered quite strong. Sukhwinder Kaur has previously served as a school principal, and as a result, she has a reputation among locals as a social worker and a disciplined leader.