Tarn Taran: The Election Commission of India (October 6) announced the date for the by-election in Tarn Taran, Punjab. Voting will take place on November 11, and counting will take place on November 14.
All major parties have declared their candidates before the election announcement. The election code of conduct also came into effect with the announcement of the election.
These are the candidates of the 4 major parties
1. AAP gives chance to a turncoat.
For the Tarn Taran by-election in Punjab, four major parties—Congress, AAP, Akali Dal, and BJP—have fielded their candidates. Among them, AAP has once again given a chance to a turncoat. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced Harmeet Sandhu as the candidate last Friday. He left the Akali Dal and joined AAP.
The AAP, which won 92 out of 117 seats in 2022, brought in leaders from other parties to contest and win most of the by-elections in Punjab. Before Tarn Taran, the AAP won three by-elections.
2. Congress chose a traditional leader
Congress has nominated Karanbir Singh Burj from this constituency. Burj has served as the Vice President of the Congress Farmers’ Cell and is 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 close associate and supporter of senior Punjab Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa.
3. BJP also gave ticket to former Akali
The BJP has nominated Harjeet Singh Sandhu, a former Akali and Youth Akali leader. He has served as the BJP Tarn Taran District President since December 2022. He is considered to have a strong hold on local politics and organization. He began his political career in 2007 with the Shiromani Akali Dal’s youth wing, but joined the BJP before the 2022 assembly elections.
4. Akali Dal joins hands with 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 group contested local body elections, resulting in the support of 43 sarpanches, 8 municipal council councilors, and several former chairmen. Therefore, her support base is considered strong. Sukhwinder Kaur has previously served as a school principal, and as a result, she has a reputation among local residents as a social worker and a disciplined leader.