Jalandhar: Voters in the western assembly constituency went to the polls last week to elect a new representative. Yesterday was the D-day as officials began counting the votes cast in the multi-candidate race. As the counting progressed throughout the day, candidates from major political parties waited with bated breath for the final result. Over 15 candidates contested in the by-election, but the main contest was between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). All eyes are on the Jalandhar results and candidates from these three major parties are eagerly awaiting the voters’ verdict.
AAP leaders expressed hope about repeating their victory in the assembly elections here. However, rivals Congress and BJP pointed out that even a marginal win for the AAP after massive campaign efforts would represent a moral defeat. Congress leader Charanjit Channi blamed alleged misuse of power by the AAP for the low turnout. Meanwhile, BJP state president Sunil Jakhar said the chief minister’s extensive personal involvement showed that the party took the support of locals for granted. As the counting was about to be completed, this trial-by-fire survey would soon reveal the winners and losers. But throughout the process, which lasted a day, the contenders kept their fingers crossed, hoping that luck would favour their candidature. Jalandhar residents have now had their say in democratic ways. Once all valid votes are counted, the elected representative will take the assembly seat.
