Recent AAP stronghold, Sangrur gave chance to all major parties in 70 years

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann won from Dhuri while education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer won from Barnala vidhan sabha constituency. In Sunam, AAP’s Aman Arora won with over 75,000 votes, which was the maximum winning margin in the state. In Bhadaur, people chose a first timer Labh Singh Ugoke over the then Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

People here have been voting for AAP since 2014 when Mann was fielded as the party’s candidate. Mann had won by over 2 lakh votes in 2014 defeating SAD’s Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. The previous Sangrur Lok Sabha MP Vijay Inder Singla, who had contested on a Congress ticket, couldn’t even save his security deposit. However, this will be Mann’s first test after forming government as he belongs to this Lok Sabha constituency. His native village Satoj is in Dirba constituency and he also has a house in Sangrur city where he visits on a regular basis.

In 2019 as well, Mann won with a margin of over one lakh votes. Even in the 2017 Assembly polls, of the 20 AAP MLAs, five were from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency alone and these were Sunam, Dirba, Barnala, Bhadaur and Mehal Kalan.

From 1952-2019, 16 Lok Sabha polls took place and SAD won this seat for six times (1967, 1977, 1984, 1996, 1998 and 2004) while Congress won it four times (1952, 1980, 1991 and 2009). Both CPI and SAD (Amritsar) could clinch the seat in 1962 and 1971 and in 1989 and 1999, respectively. While former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala won on SAD ticket thrice in 1977, 1996 and 1998, SAD(Amritsar) president Simranjeet Singh Maan contested in 1999 and won from this seat. Simranjeet Mann had contested in 2019 as well but couldn’t save his security deposit.

Meanwhile, Simranjeet Singh Maan declared himself as candidate for this bypoll seat two days ago from SAD (Amritsar). Bhagwant Mann’s sister, Manpreet Kaur, had managed her brother’s campaign from Dhuri during the Vidhan Sabha polls and she was active in the constituency after AAP formed government. Speculations are rife that she may be AAP candidate as she had even given a statement once that she will accept whatever the party high command decides. However, the party has not yet spoken on this as of now.

While Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring made a 2-day visit to all the nine constituencies about a week ago, when asked if he was keen on contesting the bypoll, he said, “nothing has been decided yet.” BJP, however, is yet to get active in the area and it’s candidates had lost security deposit in eight vidhan sabha seats in the last elections.

Only BJP candidate Arvind Khanna was able to save his security deposit from Sangrur.

Speculations are being made that Khanna may be fielded by BJP for this bypoll.

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema said, “Our party’s core committee’s meeting was held on Friday on Sangrur bypoll issue . ” SAD authorities told that Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal Friday set up a five member coordination panel to talk to “ all Panthic and pro Punjab political parties” and evolve a consensus for a united fight against “ anti Panth , anti Punjab and Delhi-centric forces in the forthcoming Parliamentary by-poll due next month”

Posters in support of Bhagwant Mann’s sister

Amid talks of Mann’s sister being fielded as bypoll candidate by AAP, posters came up in some parts of Sangrur city in support of Manpreet Kaur on Friday morning. The posters, which were printed in Punjabi, read: “sadi bhen banegi Sangrur di MP” (Our sister will become the MP of Sangrur). The posters also had pictures of Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. However, Malwinder Singh Kang, spokesperson of AAP said,” nothing has been decided by high command as of now. We don’t know the persons behind these posters. However, candidate will be declared soon. ”

WITH OVER 15.66 lakh voters, Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on June 23. The bypoll was necessitated after Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann became AAP’s CM face for the 2022 Assembly polls and subsequemtly won from Dhuri constituency.

An AAP stronghold, the constituency has nine Vidhan Sabha seats falling in three districts – Sangrur, Barnala and Malerkotla – of Punjab. All the nine vidhan sabha seats were won by AAP MLAs with record margins. These are Sangrur, Dhuri, Dirba, Sunam, Lehragaga – all in Sangrur district while Barnala, Mehal Kalan and Bhadaur- all in Barnala district and Malerkotla Vidhan Sabha constituency in Malerkotla district. All these constituencies are part of Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann won from Dhuri while education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer won from Barnala vidhan sabha constituency. In Sunam, AAP’s Aman Arora won with over 75,000 votes, which was the maximum winning margin in the state. In Bhadaur, people chose a first timer Labh Singh Ugoke over the then Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

People here have been voting for AAP since 2014 when Mann was fielded as the party’s candidate. Mann had won by over 2 lakh votes in 2014 defeating SAD’s Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. The previous Sangrur Lok Sabha MP Vijay Inder Singla, who had contested on a Congress ticket, couldn’t even save his security deposit. However, this will be Mann’s first test after forming government as he belongs to this Lok Sabha constituency. His native village Satoj is in Dirba constituency and he also has a house in Sangrur city where he visits on a regular basis.

In 2019 as well, Mann won with a margin of over one lakh votes. Even in the 2017 Assembly polls, of the 20 AAP MLAs, five were from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency alone and these were Sunam, Dirba, Barnala, Bhadaur and Mehal Kalan.

From 1952-2019, 16 Lok Sabha polls took place and SAD won this seat for six times (1967, 1977, 1984, 1996, 1998 and 2004) while Congress won it four times (1952, 1980, 1991 and 2009). Both CPI and SAD (Amritsar) could clinch the seat in 1962 and 1971 and in 1989 and 1999, respectively. While former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala won on SAD ticket thrice in 1977, 1996 and 1998, SAD(Amritsar) president Simranjeet Singh Maan contested in 1999 and won from this seat. Simranjeet Mann had contested in 2019 as well but couldn’t save his security deposit.

Meanwhile, Simranjeet Singh Maan declared himself as candidate for this bypoll seat two days ago from SAD (Amritsar). Bhagwant Mann’s sister, Manpreet Kaur, had managed her brother’s campaign from Dhuri during the Vidhan Sabha polls and she was active in the constituency after AAP formed government. Speculations are rife that she may be AAP candidate as she had even given a statement once that she will accept whatever the party high command decides. However, the party has not yet spoken on this as of now.

While Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring made a 2-day visit to all the nine constituencies about a week ago, when asked if he was keen on contesting the bypoll, he said, “nothing has been decided yet.” BJP, however, is yet to get active in the area and it’s candidates had lost security deposit in eight vidhan sabha seats in the last elections.

Only BJP candidate Arvind Khanna was able to save his security deposit from Sangrur.

Speculations are being made that Khanna may be fielded by BJP for this bypoll.

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema said, “Our party’s core committee’s meeting was held on Friday on Sangrur bypoll issue . ” SAD authorities told that

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal Friday set up a five member coordination panel to talk to “ all Panthic and pro Punjab political parties” and evolve a consensus for a united fight against “ anti Panth , anti Punjab and Delhi-centric forces in the forthcoming Parliamentary by-poll due next month”

Posters in support of Bhagwant Mann’s sister

Amid talks of Mann’s sister being fielded as bypoll candidate by AAP, posters came up in some parts of Sangrur city in support of Manpreet Kaur on Friday morning. The posters, which were printed in Punjabi, read: “sadi bhen banegi Sangrur di MP” (Our sister will become the MP of Sangrur). The posters also had pictures of Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. However, Malwinder Singh Kang, spokesperson of AAP said,” nothing has been decided by high command as of now. We don’t know the persons behind these posters. However, candidate will be declared soon. ”