Ashu wins with highest margin from district

Bharat Bhushan Ashu from the Indian National Congress (INC) won with a thumping majority. He won with the highest margin of 36,521 votes from Ludhiana district. He was leading throughout the counting. Earlier, while Ashu was leading, Bharatiya Janata Party's Kamal Chatly was trailing at the second place. However, as the counting drew to its final rounds, the second position went to Aam Aadmi Party's Ahbab Singh Grewal. Ashu polled 66,627 votes in his favour, while Grewal managed to poll 30,106 votes. 

A graduate from Arya College, 44-year-old Ashu was a councillor and went on to win with a big margin in 2012 elections and got elevated as the Deputy CLP leader and has a strong base among voters. 

"The issue of 33 per cent reservation will be taken in the first meeting of the Cabinet. Democracy gives the right for equal and fair distribution of resources so reservation is one way, through which resources can be equally distributed," he said. Both Ahbab Singh Grewal and Kamal Chatly were first-timers.

In 2012 Assembly elections, Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Congress) won with 69,125 votes against Rajinder Bhandari of the BJP, who polled 33,203 votes. — Manav Mander

Top three candidates

• 1st: Bharat Bhushan Ashu - (Congress) Votes polled: 66,627   
• 2nd : Ahbab Singh Grewal (AAP) Votes polled: 30,106 
• 3rd: Kamal Chatly - (BJP) Votes polled: 22,620