Mohinder Bhagat sworn in as Punjab minister after Jalandhar West bypoll win

Mohinder Bhagat, the AAP MLA who won the Jalandhar West bypoll, has been sworn in as a minister in the Punjab government. Bhagat, 66, took oath at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh, in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. This marks Bhagat’s first time as both an MLA and minister.

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Bhagat’s victory in the bypoll was seen as a significant win for AAP, especially after the party’s poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He won with a decisive margin of 37,325 votes, defeating BJP’s Sheetal Angural.

Bhagat’s appointment is considered a reward from CM Bhagwant Mann, who had promised the people of Jalandhar West that Bhagat would be made a minister if he won the bypoll. Bhagat’s clean image and popularity with the influential Bhagat community contributed to his success.

A series of events paved the way for Bhagat’s rise, including AAP’s former MLA Sheetal Angural’s resignation and Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh’s dip in popularity after a controversial video went viral.

Mohinder Bhagat is the son of BJP veteran Chunni Lal Bhagat, who had initially opposed his son’s exit from BJP but later supported his AAP candidature.