Gurdaspur Bypoll Results LIVE: Congress crushes BJP by 1,93,219 votes

The seat had fallen vacant following the demise of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna in April.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.

Chandigarh: Punjab's ruling Congress secured an emphatic win in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on Sunday. Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar won by a margin of over 1.93 lakh votes, officials said LIVE UPDATES:

So it’s 1,93,219..! Not much behind my expectation of a 2 lakh victory margin for @sunilkjakhar ji. What a vindication of our policies!

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 15, 2017

Sign of changing times & end of Jumlas! Congress adds one more Lok Sabha seat under the leadership of Rahul ji ! #Gurdaspur https://t.co/sXctBOdQ6N — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) October 15, 2017

• #GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll Congress crushes BJP by 1,93,219 votes
• “People especially the farmers and traders have bestowed faith on Captain Amarinder Singh’s leadership.  They have voiced their opinion against the wrongly implemented policies of demonetization and GST by the Central government. The message has now been sent to the Parliament and it is for the BJP as to how it perceives it,” Sunil Jakhar to ABP News.
• People of Gurdaspur have sent a strong message of their resentment to policies pursued by Modi Ji led Centre: Sunil Jakhar

 

#GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll: This is a Diwali gift from Congress, demoralising defeat of BJP. Victory of people of Punjab and Congress workers, says Navjot Singh Sidhu https://t.co/ltXO0PIGSJ pic.twitter.com/h22S2UJPZo

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) October 15, 2017

• Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar now leads by 1,33,000 votes after Round 9. Counting underway.
• Jhakhar extends lead by 61,172 votes
• Congress ahead by 43,656 votes. Sunil Kumar Jakhar (1,07,996) Swarn Salaria (64,340) Major General Suresh Kumar Khajuria (retd) (5,182)
• Sunil Jakhar was leading by 42,718 votes till last reports came in. BJP and AAP were at second and third spots.
• The counting was being conducted in centres in Gurdaspur and Pathankot towns.
• The fate of 11 candidates will be decided by Sunday afternoon.
• Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Swarn Salaria, Congress' Sunil Kumar Jakhar, and Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Major General Suresh Kumar Khajuria (retd) are the main contenders.

 

• Nearly 56 per cent of the 15.22 lakh registered voters exercised their franchise for the seat.
• The voter turnout was much lower than the over 70 per cent polling in the 2014 general elections.
• The seat fell vacant in April following the passing away of veteran actor Vinod Khanna, a four-time MP from the seat.
• The fight is crucial for the BJP which is trying to retain the seat, the Congress which recently came to power in Punjab and the AAP which is trying to emerge as a strong contender.