Sangrur elects open Khalistan supporter

Sangrur, Jun 27: Shiromani Akali Dal (Amristar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann on Saturday defeated AAP candidate Gurmail Singh by 5822 votes. Sangrur Lok Sabha byelections witnessed a low turnout as only 45 percent of votes were cast, which was 27.1 per cent lesser than the 2019 elections.

 

 

 

On the day of the counting, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had requested the Election Commission (EC) to extend the voting time to 7 pm as farmers would be returning late from the fields due to the rice-growing season.

 

 

 

After CM Mann’s message was echoed by the Sangrur deputy commissioner-cum-returning officer and the state chief secretary, the EC slammed the officials for the request, while calling it an “attempt of unduly interfering in the election process and influence certain class of voters.” The seat had fallen vacant earlier this year after Mann resigned as Lok Sabha MP following his landslide victory in the Punjab Assembly polls. Mann, who had won the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had campaigned along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for AAP candidate and party’s district unit chief Gurmail Singh. During the campaigning phase, Opposition parties had attacked the ruling party over the “deteriorating” law and order situation after the gruesome killing of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Against Singh, the Congress has fielded former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone with former Barnala MLA Kewal Dhillon, who had recently joined the party. On the other hand, former NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded Kamaldeep Kaur, sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in ex-Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s murder case.

 

Also Read: BJP destroys two SP fortresses in UP by-elections 

 

Former two-time MP Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann is also contesting from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.