Cong’s Mal wins bypoll from Ward No. 30

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 21

The Congress’s candidate Jeet Mal won the MC bypoll from wWard No. 30 by a margin of 2,136 votes against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate Munish Sharma.

Mal polled 2,784 votes and Sharma got 648 votes. Fourteen votes were polled to three Independent candidates and 20 voters opted for none of the above (NOTA).

Out of 5,612 registered voters in the Ward No.30, 3,466 voters (61 per cent) turned up to exercise their franchise.

Soon after the results were declared, the Congress activists began celebrations and distributed sweets.

The win has provided a much needed relief to the Finance Minister, Manpreet Badal, as the Congress had trailed behind the SAD in the 2019 General Election.

The BJP candidate’s security was forfeited as he could not secure 1/6th of the total votes polled in the Ward No.30.

The BJP workers said they had put in their best efforts and accept people’s mandate wholeheartedly. They said they would give tough competition to the Congress in the Municipal Corporation polls which were scheduled to be held after six months.

The voting went peacefully except a minor quarrel between the Congress and BJP activists at a polling station in Khalsa College.

The saffron party’s workers alleged that the Congress workers had entered inside the polling station. In total, five booths were established in two different locations.

In another bypoll held in Budhlada, Mansa, Harmesh Singh of the Congress won the election at Ward No. 18. Harmesh defeated the SAD’s candidate Bhoora Singh by 38 votes. While Harmesh polled 408 votes, his rival managed to get 370 votes.