Jailed Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh leads in Khadoor Sahib by over 50,000 votes

Jailed pro-Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh is currently leading by a significant margin of 50,405 votes in Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat, as per the latest trends released by the Election Commission of India for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Amritpal Singh, contesting as an independent candidate, has garnered substantial support despite his incarceration. Meanwhile, Congress leader Kulbir Singh Zira trails behind, while the Aam Aadmi Party candidate is lagging by 51,328 votes, according to the electoral data.

 

Amritpal Singh's ascendancy to the forefront of the electoral race comes against the backdrop of his arrest by Punjab police in April last year, following weeks of evading authorities. The imposition of the stringent National Security Act against him underscores the gravity of the charges he faces.

 

Historically, the Khadoor Sahib seat was won by the Congress' Jasbir Singh Gill in 2019. For the current election, the Congress has nominated Kuldeep Singh Zira, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Manjit Singh Manna. Laljit Singh Bhullar represents the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Akali Dal's candidate is Virsa Singh Valtoha.

 

The ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, encompassing 13 parliamentary seats, are scheduled to conclude on June 1 in the seventh phase of polling. Concurrently, initial trends suggest Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading in the two Lok Sabha seats of Wayanad in Kerala and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.

 

Overall, the Lok Sabha elections witnessed a massive turnout of approximately 642 million voters across seven phases spanning six weeks. With the counting of votes underway amid stringent security measures, the political landscape remains tense, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks a third consecutive term in power, while the opposition, united under the INDIA bloc, aims to challenge the incumbent government.

 

Exit polls had earlier predicted a decisive victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with some forecasts suggesting a two-thirds majority. Prior to the official vote tally, the BJP secured one seat in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency, with Mukesh Dalal winning uncontested after the rejection of Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani's candidacy due to alleged discrepancies in proposers' signatures.