Campaigning for 4 Punjab Assembly bypolls ends

The campaigning for October 21 by-elections to four Assembly seats in Congress-ruled Punjab concluded on Saturday evening.

The by-election to Jalalabad seat was necessitated because of former Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal quitting the seat. Dhaka seat was vacated by AAP's H.S. Phoolka and Phagwara by BJP's Som Parkash. Mukerian is going to polls as sitting MLA Rajnish Babbi of the Congress passed away.

The Congress has fielded former state youth Congress chief Raminder Awla from Jalalabad, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal from Phagwara, Indu Bala from Mukerian and Sandeep Singh Sandhu from Dakha.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance partner the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded Manpreet Singh Ayali from Dakha and Raj Singh Dibbipura from Jalalabad.

The BJP has fielded Rajesh Bagga from Phagwara and Jangi Lal Mahajan from Mukerian.

The votes will be counted on October 24.

The Congress has 78 legislators in the 117-member House.IANS