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AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining

Congress and BJP candidates lose deposits, finish fourth and fifth respectively behind jailed MP Amritpal Singh-backed Independent.

3 min readAmritsarNov 14, 2025 09:05 PM IST

AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining

Harmeet Singh Sandhu likely benefited from his personal support base. (File Photo)

The Aam Aadmi Party may have won the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll but the results have provided a much-needed relief to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), whose candidate finished second.

“This is the victory of the voters and the victory for Tarn Taran’s development. I dedicate this win to the people of my constituency,” AAP MLA-elect Harmeet Singh Sandhu, who defeated his nearest SAD rival Sukhwinder Kaur by over 12,000 votes.

Sandhu secured 42,649 as against the 30,558 garnered by Kaur. Independent Mandeep Singh Khalsa, who was supported by Amritpal Singh Bath, finished third.

The AAP candidate likely benefited from his personal support base, while Kaur, Amritpal’s mother-in-law polled impressively in villages seemingly due to the gangster’s influence.

“I wholeheartedly thank and congratulate the wise and brave voters of Tarn Taran, who stood up to the government’s authoritarianism and high-handedness of the Punjab Police with remarkable courage, and gave a befitting response to the oppression, violence and temptation of money… The Khalsa Path and Punjab will always be indebted to the voters… The election result stands as a remarkable victory for the party,” said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The result came as a rude shock to the Congress, whose candidate Karanbir Singh Burj finished fourth with just over 15,000 votes while the BJP nominee Harjit Singh Sandhu, despite a high-octane campaign by party bigwigs, finished fifth. Both the Congress and BJP candidates forfeited their deposits.

Burj’s poor showing ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls is being seen as a significant setback for the Congress. While Burj failed to build an effective campaign, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s controversial remarks in the run up to the polls are being viewed as a key reason for his loss.

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Admitting that the BJP’s poor show in “panthic seat” was due to the lack of an organisational structure, a senior BJP leader said the party was contesting the bypoll only to “test the waters”.

BJP State general secretary Anil Sarin had a more realistic picture to paint. “No doubt the vote share has increased manifold compared to 2022, but yes, the result is below expectations and I don’t deny that the response we got from the constituency couldn’t be converted into votes. We will self-introspect after the complete poll result declaration. However, I must say that we received wide acceptance in villages and towns in this pure panthic seat, while in 2022 it was difficult to even campaign. We got love and affection from voters and surely will try to convert it into votes in 2027,” he said.

Kamaldeep Singh Brar

Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts. Core Beats & Specializations Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions. National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups. Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies: 1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht "Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015. "YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies. "As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications. 2. Crime & National Security "Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government's claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison. "Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter" (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving "newly refurbished" firearms likely sent from across the border. "15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions. 3. Political Analysis & Elections "AAP wins 12 of 15 zones in SAD stronghold Majitha" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant shift in the 2025 rural elections where the Akali Dal lost its grip on a traditional fortress. "Tarn Taran bypoll: woman faces threats after complaining to CM Mann about drug menace" (Nov 9, 2025): A ground report on the personal risks faced by citizens speaking out against the illegal drug trade in border villages. "AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining" (Nov 14, 2025): Analyzing the 2025 assembly by-election results and the surprising performance of Independents backed by radical factions. 4. Human Interest "Two couples and a baby: Punjab drug addiction tragedy has new victims" (Nov 20, 2025): A tragic investigative piece about parents selling an infant to fund their addiction. "Kashmiri women artisans debut at Amritsar’s PITEX" (Dec 8, 2025): A feature on financial independence initiatives for rural women at the Punjab International Trade Expo. Signature Beat Kamaldeep is known for his nuanced understanding of border dynamics. His reporting often highlights the "drug crisis in the underprivileged localities" (like Muradpur in Tarn Taran, Nov 9, 2025), providing a voice to marginalized communities affected by addiction and administrative neglect. X (Twitter): @kamalsbrar ... Read More

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