Congress Wins Gurdaspur Lok Sabha Bypoll

Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar today won the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the party of misusing the official machinery in the poll.

Jakhar defeated his nearest rival, BJP nominee Swaran Salaria with a margin of 193,219 votes. While Jakhar polled 499,752 votes, Salaria polled 306,533, a poll official said. Aam Aadmi Party nominee Major General (Retd) Suresh Khajuria was at the third sport with 23,579 votes.

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of BJP MP Vinod Khanna in April this year. The Congress won this seat after the 2009 Lok Sabha poll when Congress candidate Partap Singh Bajwa had won this seat by defeating BJP candidate Khanna, who was four-time MP from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat. The actor had won this seat in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014.

Jakhar thanked voters for the resounding victory in the bypoll. "With this victory, people have reaffirmed faith in the leadership of Amarinder Singh," he said.

However, Punjab BJP Secretary Vineet Joshi alleged that the Congress misused the official machinery in the bypoll.

AAP candidate Maj Gen (Retd) Suresh Khajuria also accused the Congress of using "undemocratic means" in the bypoll.

"Ruling party used undemocratic means in these elections. People were scared and youth was almost absent in the bypoll. If they (Congress) win then that victory will not be a respectable one," Khajuria alleged.

(PTI)