Tarn Taran by-poll sees 59% turnout; AAP aims to retain seat amid 15-candidate contest, Sikh religiopolitics influences voting patterns
According to officials, the high-stakes Tarn Taran Assembly by-election on Tuesday witnessed a voter turnout of 59% by 5 p.m., with Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hoping to hold onto the seat that is being contested by many parties.
In the final four hours, 23 percent of voters cast ballots, according to officials.
There are up to fifteen candidates in the race, five of whom are seen as formidable opponents. This creates the possibility of a multifaceted battle for the Panthic seat, with Sikh religiopolitics exerting the greatest effect.
There are 192,838 voters in the constituency, according to Chief Flectoral Officer Sibin C. Of these, 100,933 are males, 91,897 are women, and eight are third gender voters.
According to an election officer, “there has been no report of any delay in starting the poll process.”
On November 14, the votes will be counted.
The death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal, who had defeated Harmeet Singh Sandhu of Shiromani Akall Dar (SAD) with 52,935 votes, made the by-election necessary.
Karantan Singh of the Congress, Harjit Singh Sandhu of the BUP, Harmeet Singh Sandhu of the AAP, and Sukhwinder Kaur of the SAD are among the 15 contenders.
Additionally, according to the Chief Electoral Official, there are 306 NRI voters, 1,488 voters with disabilities, 1,357 service voters, and 1,657 voters over the age of 85. There are 3,333 young voters between the ages of 18 and 19.
At 114 polling station locations, 222 polling stations were erected, 60 of which were in urban areas and 162 in rural ones.
Ravjut Kaur Grewal, the Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), was suspended by the poll Commission of India (ECI) last week for allegedly meddling in the bye poll process. The move was taken after SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal met with the observer appointed by the EC and submitted a formal complaint alleging that the SSP had abused its position of authority to support the ruling party.