Just two weeks after Jalandhar voters resoundingly rejected turncoats in the Lok Sabha elections, the political parties are once again placing their bets on leaders who have recently switched allegiances from other parties for the upcoming July 10 bypolls in the Jalandhar West constituency.
The electoral landscape in Jalandhar West has been marked by swift political maneuvers as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have nominated candidates who have shifted their loyalties from rival factions — a move underscoring the parties’ willingness to test the electoral waters despite recent voter backlash against opportunistic political switches.
AAP has nominated a former BJP leader Mohinder Bhagat, who joined the party the previous year, as its candidate for the bypoll. Bhagat, son of BJP veteran and former Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal from the previous SAD-BJP regime, had contested unsuccessfully on a BJP ticket in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
On the other hand, the BJP has fielded Sheetal Angural, who had previously won the Jalandhar West assembly seat under the AAP banner in 2022 but subsequently switched to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. It is Angural’s resignation from AAP and also the membership of the Punjab Assembly that necessitated the by-election.
The decision to nominate turncoats for the upcoming bypolls comes amidst lingering voter skepticism over political opportunism and shifting allegiances. In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, voters in Jalandhar demonstrated a clear preference against candidates who had switched parties, signaling a desire for stability and integrity in political representation.
The voters outrightly rejected SAD’s former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu, who contested on AAP ticket; Congress’ former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, who was Akali candidate; and AAP’s former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who was BJP’s candidate; while electing former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi from Jalandhar reserved seat.
Mohinder Bhagat carries significant influence in the West constituency owing to his family’s longstanding political presence. Despite challenges faced by turncoats in recent elections, AAP has expressed confidence in Bhagat, leveraging his deep-rooted ties within the Bhagat family, known for their political stronghold.
AAP’s decision to field Bhagat underscored their confidence in his ability to secure the support of his familial political network, pivotal in Jalandhar West's electoral dynamics. Despite his earlier electoral setback under BJP's banner, AAP sees Bhagat as a key contender capable of reshaping their electoral prospects in the upcoming bypolls. Notably, Bhagat had contested unsuccessfully on a BJP ticket in the February 2022 Assembly elections, later switching to AAP during the 2023 Lok Sabha bypolls.
Against him, BJP has fielded Angural, a local face and former AAP MLA, as its candidate for the upcoming bypolls. Angural, who joined BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, previously represented the same constituency in the 2022 assembly polls, defeating his rival Sushil Kumar Rinku, the then sitting Congress MLA, by a margin exceeding 4000 votes.
Addressing the media soon after his nomination was confirmed, Angural criticized AAP for allegedly neglecting grassroots workers and leaders in ticket distribution. He singled out AAP's Jalandhar president Amritpal to accuse the party of favouring a leader “residing in palaces 10 kms far from the constituency”.
Echoing his colleague Sushil Rinku's allegations, Angural reiterated that AAP had been actively strategizing against him.
For the upcoming campaign for the Jalandhar West seat, BJP has a starry line-up of star campaigners including Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Hema Malini, and Manoj Tiwari, underscoring the high stakes and intense competition in the bypoll.
The political maneuvering and candidate selection reflect strategic calculations by both the AAP and BJP, aiming to capitalize on the shifting political allegiances and community dynamics within the Jalandhar West constituency.
Nomination filing for the Jalandhar West bypoll commenced on June 14 and will continue until June 21. The scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for June 24, with the final date for withdrawal set for June 26, setting the stage for a tightly contested electoral battle.
With the election date set for July 10 and counting of votes to follow on July 13, all eyes are now on how these recent political developments and candidate choices will influence the electoral outcomes in Jalandhar West. The stakes are high as both parties vie to secure a crucial foothold in Punjab's political landscape ahead of broader state elections.
