The Election Commission Monday set the ball rolling for the bypoll to the Tarn Taran Assembly segment in Punjab, announcing that the election will be held on November 11 and the results will be declared on November 14. With this model code of conduct has come into effect in the district. The seat, which fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June, is set for a multi-cornered contest, with the ruling Aam Adami Party (AAP) looking to retain the constituency even as the other parties are banking on anti-incumbency. The Tarn Taran bypoll will be the seventh Assembly by-election in Punjab since March 2022, when AAP snagged a landlside victory winning 92 of the 117 Vidhan Sabha seats. The ruling AAP has won five of the six bypolls held so far and now bet on a turncoat — former Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harmeet Singh Sandhu, who had thrice in the past represented Tarn tarn in Vidhan Sabha. The seat was once an Akali Dal stronghold. Akali Dal’s Prem Singh Lalpura won the seat in 1997. Subsequently, Harmeet Sandhu represented the seat for three terms — as an Independent in 2002 and twice on SAD ticket in 2007 and 2012. In 2017, voter dissatisfaction with the then SAD-BJP government paved the way for Congress’s Dharambir Agnihotri to capture the seat. In 2022, however, the seat went to Sohal amid an AAP wave that swept the state. Congress's Agnihotri was relegated to the third spot, behind SAD's Harmeet Sandhu. Sandhu joined the AAP in July and was prompt assigned the ticket for the bypoll, which is being viewed as a barometer ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. Turn coats have won the byelections for AAP in the near past and Sandhu looks comfortable on paper. Earlier, SAD was the first to announce its candidate — Bibi Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa. Popularly known as “Principal”, she has been politically active in the region for last couple of years and recently joined the Akali Dal. She claims that more than 40 panchayats, eight councillors, and several former sarpanches and chairpersons have extended support to her. Upon her nomination, her supporters formally dissolved their independent group and joined the SAD, giving the party renewed strength in the constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party has named Harjit Singh Sandhu, party's Tarn Taran unit chief, as its candidate. A former Youth Akali Dal leader and prominent farmer-industrialist, he joined the BJP ahead of the 2022 elections and is seen as having organisational strength in the area. He is expected to draw votes from both BJP loyalists and disgruntled Akali supporters. The Congress has named Karanbir Singh Burj, a local leader with roots in the Punjab Kisan Congress and seen to be close to Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. Known for his presence on local and farmers’ issues, Burj is being projected as a grassroots face. Divided Akali factions and Independents Tarn Taran, which is part of Khadoor Sahib parliamentary seat, has also become a testing ground for Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) led by Amritpal Singh, the local MP currently in jail after being detained under the stringent NSA. His outfit, along with the newly formed SAD faction led by Giani Harpreet Singh, is considering backing Sandeep Singh, who is currently in jail for the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri and was recently booked for attacking a police officer, who was convicted of fake encounters. Either Sandeep Singh or a member of his family is likely to contest as an Independent candidate. Observers believe that Akali splinter groups may support his candidacy to tap into the same emotional appeal that had made Amritpal Singh win Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib in 2024. Amritpal Singh had maintained lead from Tarn Taran seat in 2024 with more than 44,000 votes. If Sandeep Singh or his family member contest, it would be difficult for SAD (Amritsar), led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, to field its own candidate. For Akali Dal, however, retaining or improving its position against Sandeep Singh’s faction is vital to sustaining credibility. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said the notification for the bypoll will be issued on October 13. The last date for filing nominations is October 21 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on October 22. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24. Nomination papers can be filed on any working day between October 13 and October 21, except on October 19 (Sunday) and October 20 (Diwali), the chief electoral officer said. The assembly constituency has 1,95,098, registered voters, including 101,494 males, 92,240 females and eight of third gender. It also has 1,319 service voters.
