Introduction

The Election Commission of India (ECI)  announced by-elections for four assembly seats in Punjab: Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha, and Barnala. Voting took place on November 13th, 2024, and the counting of votes and results announcement was on November 23rd. However, the date of the by-elections was rescheduled for November 20th due to appeals by various political parties to change the date of elections, because of Gurupurab on 15th November. Considering the religious sentiments, the EIC decided to change the voting date, however,  the date of counting of votes remained the same.  

Key Stakeholders: Major Political Parties And Candidates

The four vacancies arose as the MLAs in all four contested and won parliamentary elections held in June 2024. Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, a former Congress MLA from Giddherbaha, won the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat. Raj Kumar Chabbewal,  a former Congress MLA who later joined the AAP, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who was elected as the Congress MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, was elected from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who was the AAP MLA from Baranala, was elected from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.

The contesting candidates were the immediate family members of the 2024-elected MPs. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) opted out of the by-polls contest after SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared as ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht-the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. Sukhbir Singh was barred from contesting elections for the alleged “mistakes” committed by his party and government during its rule from 2007 to 2017. Hence, the contest was triangular among the ruling party in the state- AAP (Aam Aadmi Party), the ruling party in the center- BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party), and the Indian National Congress (INC).

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