Voting has begun for the state's only assembly seat, with 15 candidates in the fray for a multi-cornered contest. A total of 1.72 lakh people will cast their votes in the by-election till 6 pm.
The seat had become vacant after the resignation of Sheetal Angural as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA. He is in the fray again, now as a BJP candidate.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's reputation is at stake in the fight between AAP, BJP and Congress in Jalandhar West (Reserved) assembly constituency.
Counting of ballots will take place on July 13.
Jalandhar West (Reserved) assembly constituency is the center of Dalits in the Doaba region.
While the ruling AAP has fielded BJP rebel Mohinder Bhagat as its candidate, the BJP has fielded former AAP MLA Angural as its candidate.
Bhagat, who left BJP and joined AAP in April 2023, is the son of a three-time BJP MLA from this assembly constituency and was a cabinet minister from 2007-2017.
The Congress candidate is Surinder Kaur, a former senior deputy mayor of Jalandhar and a five-time councilor. The party believes that his social work will ensure his landslide victory. She is known for her closeness to Dera Sachakhand Ballan, the dominant Ravidassia sect in the region.
Shiromani Akali Dal has supported Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Binder Kumar.
The caste factor has played an important role in this seat which is famous all over the world for manufacturing sports goods.
Congress candidate Ravidasia is a prominent Dalit leader from the community, while AAP candidate Bhagat Kabir is from the Bhagat community, which has 30,000 voters. The latter had contested the seat on a BJP ticket in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections and lost.
By fielding Bhagat, AAP is trying to woo the 30,000 Bhagat community voters.
BJP's young firebrand leader Angural Sialkotia is counting on the Ravidassia community, which also has a significant vote share.
The seat had become vacant after the resignation of Sheetal Angural as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA. He is in the fray again, now as a BJP candidate.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's reputation is at stake in the fight between AAP, BJP and Congress in Jalandhar West (Reserved) assembly constituency.
Counting of ballots will take place on July 13.
Jalandhar West (Reserved) assembly constituency is the center of Dalits in the Doaba region.
While the ruling AAP has fielded BJP rebel Mohinder Bhagat as its candidate, the BJP has fielded former AAP MLA Angural as its candidate.
Bhagat, who left BJP and joined AAP in April 2023, is the son of a three-time BJP MLA from this assembly constituency and was a cabinet minister from 2007-2017.
The Congress candidate is Surinder Kaur, a former senior deputy mayor of Jalandhar and a five-time councilor. The party believes that his social work will ensure his landslide victory. She is known for her closeness to Dera Sachakhand Ballan, the dominant Ravidassia sect in the region.
Shiromani Akali Dal has supported Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Binder Kumar.
The caste factor has played an important role in this seat which is famous all over the world for manufacturing sports goods.
Congress candidate Ravidasia is a prominent Dalit leader from the community, while AAP candidate Bhagat Kabir is from the Bhagat community, which has 30,000 voters. The latter had contested the seat on a BJP ticket in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections and lost.
By fielding Bhagat, AAP is trying to woo the 30,000 Bhagat community voters.
BJP's young firebrand leader Angural Sialkotia is counting on the Ravidassia community, which also has a significant vote share.
