Punjab's Tarn Taran Assembly seat has emerged as a hotbed of political activity after the untimely death of AAP MLA Dr. Kashmir Singh Sohal in June 2025. A by-election is currently set to be held to fill this seat, possibly alongside the Bihar elections, and thus becomes a pivotal precursor to the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls. This election is of phenomenal importance as it will act like a thermometer indicating the political temperature in Punjab before the bigger electoral battle.
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is keen to hold on to Tarn Taran to solidify its grip. Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party stalwart Harmeet Singh Sandhu's switch to AAP is a masterstroke, considering his solid local connect and standing. Sandhu will likely be AAP's candidate, demonstrating the party's intent to strengthen its grip in Punjab.
- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has put forward Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, lovingly referred to as 'Principal' and owner of the Azad Group, as its candidate. Randhawa's strong roots and leadership in Tarn Taran make her a force to be reckoned with. SAD is mobilizing support under traditional Panthic values and seeks to take back its erstwhile bastion.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not yet declared its candidate but is working hard under the leadership of former minister Surjit Kumar Jyani and former Union Minister Som Prakash. BJP plans to step up grassroot connect by promoting welfare programmes, hoping to become more relevant even in the face of limited previous success in Tarn Taran.
- Indian National Congress is endeavoring to rebuild its ground-level support in the capacity of Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring through its 'Judega Block, Jittegi Congress' initiative. Although a candidate is yet to be announced, Congress is eager to make up for lost ground prior to the 2027 elections.
The recent by-elections conducted in the six major districts of Punjab which include: Jalandhar West, Dera Baba Nanak, Gidderbaha, Barnala, Ludhiana West, and Chabbewal have produced results that are more intersting than the last Lok Sabha polls. Further bifurcation of the constituencies because of resignations and elevation to the Parliament positions vacated space which resulted in renewed skirmish in the political landscape. Once again, the two major political parties in power AAP and Congress clashed with the the BJP adopting a wait and watch approach.
We have from Jalandhar West where AAP recorded a stunning victory. Mohinder Bagat won the seat with a staggering 55,246 votes, more than 37,000 votes ahead of congress’s Surander Kaur who received 16,757 votes while the BJP’s Angural received 17,921 votes. His victory impressive not only because Angural recieved significantly more vote than Kaur. AAPs victory not only strengthens its hold on Doaba region but indicates the deep grassroots affinity the party has amongst the people. Bhagat’s appeal and the festive celebration that evolved though dho ndan s and suwaarsi across the city indicate a wide voter base ready to embrace clean governance.
Dera Baba Nanak witnessed an intensely fought contest. The AAP's Gurdeep Singh Randhawa had an advantage over congress's Jatinder Kaur Randhawa by a narrow margin of 5,699 votes.
The election was closely contested as Gurdeep received 59,104 votes and Jatinder received 53,405 votes. BJP’s Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon was way behind at 6,505 votes. Coincidentally, both leading contestants belonged to the politically influential parts of the Randhawa clan, and it became a sort of familial contest. It was referred to as a ‘brother vs sister’ ideological conflict that had everyone watching the results as they were being tabulated.
Barnala offered Congress a much-needed morale boost, as Kuldeep Singh Dhillon narrowly defeated AAP’s Harinder Singh Dhaliwal with 28,254 votes to Harinder’s 26,097. Kuldeep’s narrow victory of 2,157 votes and Kewal Singh Dhillon’s 17,958 votes added to the excitement. With soaring summer temperatures, the battle in Barnala became a furnace of sorts as party activists were glued to EVM screens until the break of dawn. The victory allowed Congress to resurge in Punjab’s Malwa belt as AAP continues to hold its ground.
AAP strengthened its influence over Ludhiana West as Sanjeev Arora emerged victorious with a margin of over 10,600 votes. Arora received 35,179 votes while Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a veteran leader, received 24,542 votes. Jiwan Gupta of the BJP managed to garner 20,323 votes.
Ludhiana West showed the working middle class growing understanding of AAP's grass roots development narrative.
The largest under-rated but most shocking result was in Chabbewal in Hoshiarpur, an SC-reserved seat that flew under the media radar for much of the pre-poll hype. Congress is reportedly won an impressive victory here, having defeated AAP in what party insiders are describing as a grass-roots-driven revival. Before finalized official vote counts were being finished on all of the platforms, intense voter engagement and micro-campaigning to specific constituencies served as the assists that enabled Congress to swing the seat their way. For a party seeking a bounce in the state, Chabbewal was that.
While the returns from Gidderbaha, or Gidarwal as some local media refer to it, were yet to come in as of August 8, 2025, the Election Commission has not declared the result officially yet, though the seat has for a long time been a staging ground for competitive battles between Congress and AAP. Political observers are keeping a close eye on happenings there.
Overall, the by-elections have been mixed bag. AAP continues to find its footing, particularly in semi-urban and urban pockets like Jalandhar and Ludhiana. But Congress has found wiggle room and potential traction with wins in Barnala and Chabbewal, suggesting that it's not leaving the Punjab stage anytime soon. BJP, on the other hand, is struggling to make inroads in the state assembly map, playing catch-up with third-place wins all across. These backflow of votes not only alter MLA numbers; they reflect shifting political currents in Punjab, two years ahead of the assembly polls.