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Chabbewal Assembly bypoll: Know your candidates ahead of tomorrow’s voting

A look at the candidates fielded by the AAP, Congress, and BJP for the bypoll to the Chabbewal (reserved) seat in Punjab.

(From left) Dr Ishank Kumar, Sohan Singh Thandal and Ranjit Kumar are the candidates in fray. (Express Photos)

Voters in the Chabbewal Assembly constituency in Punjab will cast their ballot Wednesday in a bypoll necessitated by the resignation of Dr Raj Kumar, who won the last elections as a Congress candidate.

Ahead of the Chabbewal bypolls, here is a profile of the candidates of the AAP, Congress, and BJP in the fray:

AAP’s Dr Ishank Kumar

Political background

Dr Ishank Kumar, 31, is the son of Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, a two-time Congress MLA from the same constituency who later joined the Aam Aadmi Party before the Lok Sabha elections. Dr Raj Kumar is currently the sitting AAP MP from the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat.

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This is Dr Ishank’s first election, although he has actively participated in his father’s election campaigns and is familiar with reaching out to voters.

Election agenda

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has addressed three rallies in support of Dr Ishank, with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal also holding one at Chabbewal. Their promises included comprehensive civic amenities, improved education, and healthcare facilities. On his part, Dr Ishank has emphasised his father’s developmental work in the constituency and highlighted the AAP’s public welfare initiatives over the past 2.5 years, advocating for “unprecedented development” in the area.

Education

MBBS, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, affiliated with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, completed in 2015.

Congress candidate Advocate Ranjit Kumar

Political background

Advocate Ranjit Kumar, 52, has over two decades of political experience. This is his second election, following his candidacy in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Hoshiarpur seat as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. He is the President of the District Bar Association, Hoshiarpur.

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Ranjit Kumar began his political career with the BSP in 2002 and became its state general secretary in 2020. He has also served as a nominated member of the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, and is a trustee of the Ambedkar Bhawan Trust, Jalandhar.

Ranjit Kumar’s 2024 Lok Sabha candidacy was notable due to last-minute changes in the BSP’s candidate list, resulting in his nomination. For the current bypoll, he secretly joined Congress and secured the ticket, overcoming competition from other contenders like Kulvinder Singh Rasulpuri.

Election agenda

Ranjit Kumar’s campaign focused on tackling drug abuse, improving law and order, and highlighting the perceived failures of the ruling AAP government.

Education

BCom from S D College, Hoshiarpur, Punjab University, completed in April 1994. LLB from N M Law College, Hanumangarh, affiliated with MIDS University, Ajmer, completed in August 1997.

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BJP candidate Sohan Singh Thandal

Political background

A seasoned politician and former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister, Sohan Singh Thandal, 69, has been a four-time MLA from the Chabbewal constituency between 1997 and 2012. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he contested as a SAD candidate from Hoshiarpur. Recently, he left the SAD to join the BJP before the Chabbewal bypoll.

Election agenda

Thandal has criticised the ruling AAP government, alleging it has failed to address farmers’ issues, and has also highlighted the poor law and order in the state. He has also pointed to the lack of development under the current political administration.

Education: Bachelor of Arts from G N N B College, Narur-Panchhat, affiliated with Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, completed in 1979.