Punjab: All arrangements made to ensure free, fair bypoll in Sangrur, says returning officer

All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful by-election in Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency on June 23, returning officer of the parliamentary segment said on Sunday.

The Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann, presently chief minister, contested and won from Dhuri assembly segment in the 2022 assembly election.

''All necessary arrangements have been made to hold free, fair and peaceful by-elections,'' Returning Officer Jitendra Jorwal said.

According to Jorwal, there are 15,69,240 eligible voters, including 8,30,056 male, 7,39,140 female and 44 transgenders, in the constituency.

There are 16 candidates, including 13 male and three women, in the fray, he added.

Voting will take place from 8 am to 6 pm and the counting of votes will be held on June 26, he said.

The bypoll will be AAP's first major electoral battle after it formed the government in Punjab.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Gurmail Singh, who is the party's Sangrur district in-charge, while the Congress has placed its bet on former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy.

The BJP has fielded former Barnala MLA Kewal Dhillon, who joined the party on June 4.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann is also contesting the election.

Kamaldeep Kaur, sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case, has been fielded by the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Meanwhile, Jorwal said police and para military parties deployed across the constituency have been conducting thorough searches to check the flow of liquor, narcotics and money to ensure free and fair elections.

He said in view of the polls, there will be complete ban on sale of liquor in the constituency from 6 pm on June 21, when campaigning ends, till the conclusion of polls on June 23.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)