The stage is set for a high-voltage four-cornered contest in the Tarn Taran assembly bypoll, with top leaders of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP making last-ditch efforts to woo voters on the final day of campaigning on Sunday.
The bypoll, necessitated by the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June, has drawn 15 candidates into the fray. AAP leaders, led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, campaigned for party nominee Harmeet Singh Sandhu, highlighting the government’s initiatives in education, healthcare, free electricity and infrastructure development.
Rival leaders launched a strong attack on the ruling party, accusing it of corruption and poor governance. Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi campaigned for party candidate Karanbir Singh Burj, asserting that only Congress could ensure stability and equality in the state.
Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, held extensive rallies in support of SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, accusing the AAP government of misusing police and administrative machinery for political advantage.
BJP leaders, including Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini, Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, canvassed for the party’s candidate Harjit Singh Sandhu, alleging that AAP had “ruined Delhi” and was now doing the same in Punjab.
With all major parties deploying their star campaigners and mounting aggressive campaigns, the Tarn Taran bypoll is expected to witness an intense electoral battle that could serve as a key political indicator ahead of the next assembly elections in Punjab.