Gurdaspur LS bypoll result: Congress candidate leading the way

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Chandigarh: Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar was ahead of his BJP rival Swarn Salaria as the counting of votes polled in the October 11 by-election to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency was underway on Sunday.

Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypolls Congress BJP AAP
Leading 1,08,230 64,340 5,182

Congress leaders and workers had started celebrating the impending victory by bursting crackers and distributing sweets in Gurdaspur, Chandigarh and other places.

The seat was earlier held by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had won it in the 2014 general elections.

Jakhar, who is the Punjab Congress president, was leading over Salaria after four rounds of counting.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Major General Suresh Kumar Khajuria (retd) was on the third spot.

As per the reports, Congress ahead by 43,656 votes – Sunil Kumar Jakhar (1,07,996), BJP’s Swarn Salaria (64,340), AAP’s Major General Suresh Kumar Khajuria (retd) (5,182).

The counting is being conducted in centres in Gurdaspur and Pathankot towns.

The fate of 11 candidates in the fray will be decided by Sunday afternoon.

The bypoll, held on October 11, is seen as a barometer for the popularity of the six-month-old Congress government in the state.

Nearly 56 per cent of the 15.22 lakh registered voters exercised their franchise for the seat. The voter turnout was much lower than the over 70 per cent polling in the 2014 general elections.

The seat fell vacant in April following the passing away of veteran actor and BJP MLA Vinod Khanna, a four-time MP from the seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to retain the seat while the Congress, which recently came to power in Punjab after sweeping the assembly polls, is trying to wrest it from the BJP.

The Gurdaspur parliamentary seat has nine assembly segments — Bhoa, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Dinanagar, Qadian, Fathegarh Churian, Dera Baba Nanak, Sujanpur and Batala.

IANS