Of the nine assembly segments in Jalandhar district, this reserved constituency is one of the most hyper-sensitive where both socio-religious factors play a vital role.

Once a hub of leather tanneries with people from the Dalit community largely handling the businesses, especially around the Boota Mandi area, the segment is now known for its sports industry.

Ambedkar connection

The major movements related to Dalits received a huge response since independence in this area. Dr BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution, addressed a huge gathering on October 27, 1951, in which he exhorted the people, mainly Dalits, to have their own discourse. Even Ambedkar’s closest associates including Seth Kishan Das, Baldev Bhardwaj and Lahori Ram Balli hailed from this segment. Das was then president of the Schedule Caste Federation (SCF) and remained instrumental in setting up the headquarters of the Ad-Dharm Mandal at Boota Mandi only.

Moreover, socio-religious institutions related to the Dalit community—Satguru Kabir Bhagat temple at Bhargav Camp, Ravidass Bhawan, Ravidass Dham and Bhagwan Valmiki temple, are all located in this constituency.

The voters here are going to cast their franchise for the fourth time since the 2022 assembly polls after the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll held last year and recently concluded parliamentary elections.

The bypoll was necessitated after the resignation of Sheetal Angural, who was an elected AAP MLA but before the LS polls switched sides to join the BJP.

Caste factor

The caste factor has played a key role here. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has given a ticket to Mohinder Bhagat, a member of the Kabir Bhagat community, which is dominant in the area. Bhagat’s father Chunni Lal Bhagat remained a three-time MLA from this particular segment from BJP and served as cabinet minister from 2007-2017.

Likewise, the Congress has placed its bet on Surinder Kaur, a prominent Dalit woman leader of the Ravidassia community. She remained a five-time municipal councillor and served as senior deputy mayor of Jalandhar. She has a good hold in the area in and around Boota Mandi. The influence of the Dera Sachakhand Ballan, a key Ravidassia community sect in the Doaba region, can also work in her favour.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s Sheetal Angural is banking upon his community Sialkotia Ravidassia, which also has a considerable vote share here. In his speeches, Anugural often gives reference to his ancestors shifting to Jalandhar from Pakistan’s Sialkot to set up sports goods manufacturing and trading units.

Political discourse so far

Before 1997, the Congress was a dominant force but in the past six assembly elections, the BJP proved its mettle after its nominee Chunni Lal Bhagat won thrice in 1997, 2007 and 2012. Congress secured the seat twice in 2002 (Mohinder Singh Kaypee) and 2017 (Sushil Kumar Rinku), while Sheetal Angural, as AAP candidate, won in the 2022 state polls. Both Bhagat and Kaypee remained cabinet ministers in their respective governments and held key portfolios.

The Jalandhar West bypoll is going to be a prestige battle for the parties. Though Congress’ Charanjit Singh Channi defeated BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku to win the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a record margin of 1.75 lakh votes, he got a meagre lead of 1,557 votes over his rival in this assembly segment.

Channi polled 44,394 votes, while BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku got 42,837 and AAP’s Pawan Kumar Tinu got 15,629 votes

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the voting percentage of the Congress had gone up to 39.43% from 20.36% in the 2022 assembly polls and BJP’s from 19.51% in 2022 to 21.64% in parliamentary elections.

The vote percentage of the ruling AAP dropped to 21.74% from 22.84% in assembly polls.

Hectic campaigning

Setting the precedent in the bypoll history of the state, all the political parties have been campaigning with full intensity. The ruling AAP, which managed just three seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, has made it a prestige battle to retain this seat. Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has been camping in the city since the announcement of the election. He is accompanied by nearly all of the party’s 85 MLAs, including cabinet ministers, and three MPs have also been present on the ground campaigning for Bhagat.

For Congress, their top senior leaders including Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and seven newly elected MPs are looking after the campaign. Meanwhile, the BJP’s campaigning is managed by a senior bunch of state and central leadership including state president Sunil Jakhar.

On the other hand, the SAD’s campaign failed to gain support after party president Sukhbir Singh Badal withdrew support to Surjit Kaur. Though Sukhbir extended his support to BSP candidate Bhinder Kumar Lakha, only a single meeting was held in Lakha’s favour by local Akali leadership.