Congress MLA-turned Akali Joginder Pal Jain wins by 18,849 votes over Congress candidate, delivering a blow to the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh, who now has nothing to left to continue being the leader and must resign immediately
MOGA – The SAD-BJP candidate, Joginder Pal Jain defeated Congress candidate Vijay Sathi in the Moga by-election by 18,849 votes.
The win, again orchestrated by SAD Deputy Chief Sukhbir Badal, delivered a blow to the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh, who now has nothing to left to continue being the leader and must resign immediately
Jain got 69,269 votes while Sathi polled 50,420 votes. The security deposit of all other candidates, including PPP’s Dr Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal, was forfeited. The latter secured 7,401 votes. The SAD (Mann) candidate, Birinder P Singh, got just 822 votes.
The seat fell vacant after Jain, who was elected to the assembly on the Congress ticket in 2012, resigned in December last year and joined the ruling SAD. The SAD leadership allotted him the party ticket to contest the by-election.
The counting of votes began at 8 am at Bhupindra Khalsa Higher Secondary School amid tight security. There were a total of 14 rounds of counting. Jain led in all the rounds except the one for Moga city.
It is for the first time since Independence that the Akali candidate has got a lead of about 3,000 votes in urban areas. The Congress candidate could get a lead of just 1,871 votes in the Hindu-dominated areas of the city only in the 11th round of counting.
Jain’s supporters gathered outside the counting centre in the morning. After the eighth round, when Jain had a comfortable lead of 16,337 votes, an open jeep bedecked with flowers was brought outside the counting centre. There were fireworks after the counting in the 10th round. Disappointed Congress supporters began to disperse. However, Sathi stayed put till the last vote was counted. After the declaration of results, he left the counting centre with a few supporters.
Barjinder Singh Brar, son of Akali stalwart Jathedar Tota Singh, escorted Jain to an open jeep for a victory procession.
