Ludhiana, June 20: A voter turnout of 41.04% was recorded by 3 p.m. in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, with polling continuing under heavy security until 6 p.m. The high-stakes election was necessitated by the death of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. Counting of votes will take place on June 23.
The by-election is being closely watched as a test of strength for the ruling AAP and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership, with 14 candidates contesting and 1,75,469 voters eligible to cast their votes—85,371 of them women and 10 identifying as third gender.
AAP nominee and Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora, 61, cast his vote in the morning, accompanied by his family. Before heading to the polling booth, Arora visited a gurdwara, a temple, and the Dargah Pir in Phillaur. “I appeal to all voters to come out in large numbers and participate in the democratic process,” he told reporters.
Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, BJP’s Jiwan Gupta, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman also cast their votes during the day.
Chief Minister Mann reiterated his call for voter participation via social media. “My appeal to the voters of Ludhiana West is that you must exercise your right to vote. You must fulfil your duty for the development and progress of your area. Do not consider today a holiday—definitely go and cast your vote,” he posted in Punjabi on X.
Ludhiana deputy commissioner and district election officer Himanshu Jain also cast his vote, as polling unfolded across 194 stations equipped with live webcasting. A total of 235 CCTV cameras were installed, with the proceedings monitored in real time from the Integrated Command and Control Centre at the district administrative complex.
In a notable first, polling booths featured secure mobile phone deposit counters. “All polling stations in Ludhiana West have made arrangements for safe mobile phone deposit to enhance the voter experience while upholding the secrecy of voting,” the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab stated in a post on X. Volunteers managed the counters using jute or cloth pouches.
Wheelchairs, help desks, and polling assistants were stationed at all booths to ensure accessibility and ease of voting, officials said.
Arora, who runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust, is facing Ashu, a two-time MLA and former minister who lost the 2022 election to Gogi by 7,512 votes. BJP’s Jiwan Gupta, a core committee member and former state general secretary, and SAD’s Ghuman, a Ludhiana-based lawyer, are also in the fray.
As the evening approached, polling continued without incident, with officials hopeful that the final turnout would reflect strong civic participation.
