AAP's Strategic Triumph in Tarn Taran Bypoll
The Aam Aadmi Party secured a significant victory in the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election, with candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu defeating his nearest rival by a substantial margin of 12,091 votes. The results declared on Friday, November 15, 2025, demonstrated AAP's growing political dominance in Punjab, marking their sixth by-poll win out of seven since assuming power in March 2022.
Campaign Strategy: All Hands on Deck
The ruling party approached this by-election with unprecedented intensity, treating it as a crucial semi-final ahead of the 2027 state elections. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann personally addressed at least seven functions and rallies in the constituency, while AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and state incharge Manish Sisodia also conducted significant campaign events.
The party deployed its entire organizational machinery, including Cabinet ministers, MLAs, and grassroots workers for comprehensive door-to-door outreach, village rallies, and digital campaigns. This multi-pronged approach helped AAP consolidate its position in the border constituency that had been vacated following the demise of AAP's sitting MLA, Kashmir Singh Sohal, in June.
Vote Count and Political Implications
According to the final tally, Harmeet Singh Sandhu secured 42,649 votes, comfortably defeating Shiromani Akali Dal's Sukhwinder Kaur who received 30,528 votes. The Congress party maintained third position with 12,801 votes, while Mandeep Singh Khalsa of a radical group managed to secure 9,705 votes.
The victory margin of over 12,000 votes has been particularly satisfying for the party, especially given that Sandhu is a former SAD MLA whose personal connections in the constituency are believed to have worked in AAP's favor. The party leadership framed the contest as "truth versus deceit," directly targeting traditional political opponents while highlighting their governance achievements.
Controversies and Challenges
The election campaign wasn't without controversy, as the Shiromani Akali Dal lodged formal complaints with the Election Commission of India alleging misuse of government machinery. These allegations included claims of favorable officer postings and threats to officials filing FIRs against opposition workers.
The controversy intensified when the Election Commission suspended Tarn Taran SSP Ravjot Kaur Grewal just days before polling, following complaints that police officials were acting as "polling agents" for the ruling party. Additionally, remarks by Punjab Congress Committee chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring regarding former Union Home Minister Buta Singh sparked further political tensions.
Despite these challenges, AAP managed to turn the controversies to their advantage, with party MLA Gurdev Singh Dev Mann remarking that if Raja Warring "keeps at it, we will comfortably win the 2027 Assembly elections."
Leadership Response and Future Outlook
Cabinet ministers including Aman Arora, Barinder Goyal, Hardeep Mundian, and constituency election incharge Laljit Bhullar jointly addressed the media, declaring the victory as "a stamp on the work of Bhagwant Mann's government." They emphasized that voters were raising questions about the Congress party rather than the ruling AAP.
The party leadership has committed to fulfilling all promises made to Tarn Taran residents during the by-election campaign on a priority basis. This victory reinforces AAP's political standing in Punjab while sending strong signals to opposition parties about the ruling party's organizational strength and popular support ahead of the 2027 state elections.
