Punjab Bypolls: AAP Leading In 3 Seats, Congress In One

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party was leading from Chabbewal, Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak while the Congress was ahead in Barnala segment in Punjab, showed trends in the counting of votes bypolls to four Assembly segments in the state on Saturday. In Chabbewal, the AAP's Ishank Kumar Chabbewal consolidated his pole position as he was leading by 21,081 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate Ranjit Kumar after the 10th round of counting. The BJP's Sohan Singh Thandal was in the third spot.

Sensing victory, Ishank's supporters have already started celebrating. In Gidderbaha, AAP's Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon was leading by 5,976 votes against his nearest rival and Congress nominee Amrita Warring, the wife of Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, after four rounds of counting.

BJP candidate and former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal was in the third spot. In Barnala, Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhillon is leading by 2,750 votes against his nearest rival and BJP nominee Kewal Singh Dhillon after the eight rounds of counting. AAP candidate Harinder Singh Dhaliwal was trailing at the third spot.

The Dera Baba Nanak was witnessing a neck-and-neck contest between the Congress and AAP. AAP candidate Gurdeep Singh Randhawa was leading by 505 votes against Congress candidate Jatinder Kaur Randhawa after nine rounds of counting.

Kaur was leading from the third to the eighth round of counting. She is the wife of Congress MP from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. Counting of votes for the bypolls to Punjab's four assembly segments began at 8 am on Saturday.

Bypolls to Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala took place on November 20. The bypolls were necessitated after the incumbent legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.