6 months ago
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A elector turnout of 11% was recorded successful the archetypal 2 hours of polling successful the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll successful Punjab connected Tuesday (November 11, 2025).
The polling began astatine 7 a.m. and it volition proceed till 6 p.m., said officials.
Despite the greeting chill, voters thronged respective polling stations.
Congress campaigner Karanbir Singh Burj on with his household turned up astatine 1 of the polling stations to formed vote.
Speaking to reporters, helium appealed to voters to travel retired and workout their close of franchise and bring the close enactment and campaigner forward.
Shiromani Akali Dal campaigner Sukwinder Kaur Randhawa accompanied by her girl Kanchanpreet Kaur came to a polling presumption successful Kaka Kandiala colony to formed vote.
AAP campaigner Harmeet Singh Sandhu besides formed his vote.
Outside the entranceway of polling stations, designated counters were acceptable up for voters to securely deposit their mobile devices.
The Tarn Taran Assembly spot fell vacant pursuing the decease of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal successful June.
There are 15 candidates successful the fray.
The AAP has fielded Sandhu, a three-time MLA from Tarn Taran, who joined the ruling enactment successful July this year.
He was elected to the Assembly from Tarn Taran arsenic an Independent successful 2002 and successful 2007 and 2012 connected a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. He unsuccessfully contested elections from the spot successful 2017 and 2022.
The fig of eligible voters is 1,92,838 — 1,00,933 male, 91,897 female, and 8 third-gender — successful the constituency.
A full of 222 polling stations person been acceptable up astatine 114 locations, of which 60 are municipality and 162 are rural, including 4 ‘model’ and 3 ‘pink’ polling booths, officials said.
Officials said 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) person been deployed successful the Assembly constituency and it is 1 of the largest deployment of CAPF ever by the Election Commission successful immoderate bye-election.
There was an statement of CCTV and webcasting astatine each polling stations, they further said.
The bypoll is seen arsenic a litmus trial for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leaders, who aggressively campaigned to clasp this seat.
Stakes are besides precocious for the Congress, which has fielded its Tarn Taran territory portion main Karanbir Singh Burj for the bypoll. An agriculturalist and real-estate businessman, Burj is contesting elections for the archetypal time.
Prestige is besides astatine involvement for the BJP which is expecting a triumph successful the bypoll.
The BJP fielded Harjit Singh Sandhu, the president of the party’s territory unit, arsenic its campaigner for the bypoll.
The predetermination is arsenic important for SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who, on with his woman Harsimrat Kaur Badal, aggressively campaigned for enactment campaigner Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, a retired authorities schoolhouse main and the woman of a ‘Dharmi Fauji’.
Many Sikh soldiers who deserted the Army pursuing Operation Blue Star successful 1984 are called Dharmi Fauji’.
Another campaigner successful the fray is Independent nominee Mandeep Singh, the member of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, an accused successful the 2022 execution of Shiv Sena (Taksali) person Sudhir Suri.
Sandeep Singh is besides an accused successful an onslaught connected 3 erstwhile constabulary officers, including 2 convicted successful a fake brushwood lawsuit successful Tarn Taran, wrong the Patiala jail. One of the convicted erstwhile officers, Suba Singh, succumbed to his injuries connected September 17.
Mandeep Singh has the backing of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) led by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, Giani Harpreet Singh-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) and immoderate extremist Sikh bodies, including the Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwala).
