Congress to begin Tarn Taran bypoll campaign today, aims to put up unity show

The Congress will begin its campaign for the November 11 Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll on Saturday, with the entire party leadership likely to put up a united show.

According to party leaders, they will kickstart the canvassing after paying obeisance at different religious places.

The party has fielded Karanbir Singh Burj, a confidant of Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa.

He is also said to have the backing of the Majha leaders.

The state Congress has been facing internal squabbling for months now, prompting its central leadership to step in to bridge the differences among its leaders. The party had lost the Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll to ruling AAP, following which the demand for the leadership change in Punjab had gathered steam.

The bypoll is being considered crucial ahead of the 2027 state polls, before which the Congress would expect to put its house in order, according to political analysts.

Banking on secular credentials: Bajwa

Meanwhile, Bajwa said the Congress would bank on its secular credential to win the seat, traditionally considered a Panthic bastion.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, accused the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which in the past held a considerable hold in the segment, of patronising gangster culture. “We are the only party with secular credentials and giving a new face for the bypolls,” he said.

Gangster-related violence, including a 2023 incident where two gangsters were killed inside the Goindwal jail, and drug-related deaths were among the main issues the party will focus on.

Multi-corner contest

The party is locked in a multi-corned contest with the BJP, SAD and AAP. While the BJP has fielded Harjit Singh Sandhu, the SAD and state’s ruling AAP have reposed faith on Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa and Harmeet Singh Sandhu, respectively.

Pro-Khalistan sympathiser and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has fielded Mandeep Singh, brother of a murder case accused.

The SAD candidate is the wife of a “Dharmi Fauji” (Sikh soldiers who had deserted the Army after the Operation Blue Star in 1984) and had supported Amritpal Singh during his election campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. Congress insiders believe that as the Panthic votes would divide between Randhawa and Mandeep Singh, the main contest would emerge between AAP and the Congress.

Drive against ‘vote theft’ gets 8 lakh signatures

The Congress signature campaign in Punjab against “vote theft” under the nationwide “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” movement has so far received 8 lakh signatures. “The party has set the target to get 15 lakh signed forms till October 15,” said Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.