Punjab’s ruling party AAP on Saturday termed its victory in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll as “historic”, saying it was people’s seal of approval on the work done by the Bhagwant Mann government in the last one year.
AAP’s Sushil Rinku defeated Congress’s Karamjeet Kaur Choudhary by a margin of 58,691 votes in Jalandhar parliamentary seat.
According to the Election Commission data, Rinku got 3,02,279 votes while Chowdhary got 2,43,588 votes.
Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, who is also supported by Mayawati-led BSP, was third, while BJP candidate Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal was fourth.
Sukhi got 1,58,445 votes while Atwal got 1,34,800 votes.
Opposition parties Congress, BJP and SAD accepted people’s mandate and congratulated AAP for the victory.
Addressing the media in Jalandhar after Rinku’s victory in the bypoll, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said it was a “historic” victory for AAP and thanked the people of Jalandhar parliamentary seat for reposing faith in him.
The party’s election in-charge for the Jalandhar bypolls said, “AAP registered a historic victory in the Jalandhar bypolls.”
He also said that the voters of Jalandhar parliamentary constituency have rejected the false propaganda being spread by the opposition parties against the AAP government. “When Rinku was fielded, various parties leveled allegations on the issue and tried to play dirty politics, but the people of Jalandhar seat showered love on you,” he said.
Cheema said that the guarantees that AAP had promised before the 2022 assembly elections are being fulfilled by the Mann government and this victory is the seal of the people on that.
Cheema, who was accompanied by ministers Harjot Singh, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Harbhajan Singh, said, “We went to the people with guarantees of free electricity, opening of mohalla clinics, opening of prestigious schools and guarantees of the people of Jalandhar seat.”
The winning candidate Sushil Rinku thanked the voters of Jalandhar parliamentary seat for making him victorious and said that he would work on pending projects like smart city, Jalandhar airport and Adampur flyover etc.
He further said that his endeavor would be to raise the issues of Punjab in the Parliament.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha also thanked the voters of Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat for the victory and said that his party is now back in the Lok Sabha.
“You are back in the Lok Sabha! Congratulations @AamAadmiParty’s Sushil Kumar Rinku on winning the Jalandhar bypoll. Thanks Jalandhar! Today’s victory reflects the strengthening of people’s faith in the leadership of @ArvindKejriwal and the pro-people governance of @BhagwantMann,” Chadha said.
The Congress, which lost its bastion to the AAP, said it humbly accepts the mandate of the people and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Waring congratulated the AAP on its victory in the bypoll.
“We humbly accept the mandate of the people! I thank the party workers, volunteers, supporters & entire @INCPunjab leadership for the hard work & efforts put in by them for the #Jalandhar bypoll. I congratulate Sushil Rinku and AAP party for the victory.” Senior Congress leader Pratap Singh Baja thanked party workers and leaders for performing unitedly and said they will come back stronger in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We humbly accept the decision of the people of Jalandhar. I thank all @INCPunjab leaders & workers for putting up a united show & fighting the elections till the very end. Congratulations to @APPunjab and Sushil Rinku on the win. We will come back stronger in 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Bajwa tweeted.
However, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu reacted to the bypoll, tweeting, “Meanwhile in Punjab, the Jalandhar bypoll was a ‘police action’…
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also thanked the voters of Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat and said his party accepts the mandate “with humility”. We congratulate the winner Sushil Kumar Rinku and @AamAadmiParty and hope they live up to the expectations of the voters.”
“I thank all the leaders and workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for working hard and putting up a valiant fight against all odds, including the might of the two governments, the Center and the state.” He further said in his tweet.
Punjab BJP chief Ashwini Sharma also said that her party accepts the mandate of the people of Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.
We accept whatever mandate the people have given in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election. Congratulations to AAP candidate Sushil Rinku,” Sharma said in a tweet.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)