The upcoming by-election for the Jalandhar West Assembly constituency is being closely watched given the high stakes involved for both Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress in Punjab. While securing victory would be a matter of pride for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP, the results are also crucial for Congress' revival plans in the state.
Both parties seem to have gone all out to campaign aggressively and mobilize support from voters. Leaders from both camps have emphasised the significance of the bypoll and its implications for their respective political futures. CM Mann has expressed confidence in the people electing the AAP candidate by a big margin to endorse the government's performance. Meanwhile, Congress is banking on anti-incumbency against AAP's two year rule to gain traction and sustain the momentum from the recent Lok Sabha polls.
Congress' state unit under Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has been working tirelessly on the campaign along with senior leaders like Charanjit Channi and Partap Singh Bajwa. They claim the results will indicate public rejection of AAP and deal a blow to CM Mann. However, AAP is pinning hopes on development works and popularity of the CM driving voters to support them again.
With both parties leaving no stone unturned and making this a high-stakes battle, all eyes will be on the voting public of Jalandhar West to see who they choose to back when they head to polls. It is expected that the outcome will significantly influence the political climate and future strategies of AAP and Congress heading into the next state elections.
