SAD Announces Tarn Taran By-poll Candidate

When Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Sanjeev Arora won the Ludhiana West by-poll on 23 Jun, the party's Panjab in-charge Manish Sisodia said, 'If this was a semifinal, we are ready to make the final (2027 Panjab Legislative Assembly election) a superhit success.' However, on 27 Jun, AAP sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Tarn Taran, Dr. Kashmir Singh Sohal died from cancer. Now, there will be another semi-final—a by-poll in Tarn Taran within the next six months. On 15 Jul, three-time Tarn Taran MLA and former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harmeet Singh Sandhu joined AAP. Sandhu had won from Tarn Taran as an independent in 2002, and as a SAD candidate in 2007 and 2012. Meanwhile, on 20 Jul, SAD held a massive rally and show of strength at Chabal village in Tarn Taran. At the rally, Azad (Free) Group—which came to prominence during Municipal Elections in March 2025 by winning 8 out of the 25 wards—merged with SAD. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the Azad Group chief Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa as the SAD candidate from Tarn Taran. Badal appealed to Panjabis to unite under the Akali flag to counter 'outside forces' who wanted to loot the state. 'These forces were behind the 2015 acts of sacrilege which were committed with the sole aim of weakening SAD.' Badal also targeted Indian National Congress’ (INC) leaders Pargat Singh and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. In the recent debate in Panjab Assembly over the new Anti-Sacrilege Bill, Pargat said during the INC rule (2017-2022), ‘There was a group (that wanted to solve the sacrilege cases), and there was another group who wanted status quo on the cases so they linger on.’ In another incident, during a discussion on sacrilege, Randhawa said, ‘I used to attend the Special Investigation Team meetings. But they were not serious about solving the cases.’ Badal demanded both leaders reveal names of leaders who played politics on sacrilege. On 19 Jul, Randhawa said Badal has no moral authority to raise questions on the Bargari sacrilege incident after accepting 'guilt before Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne) (earlier coverage).