Counting of votes for the by-election on Tarn Taran assembly seat in Punjab will take place on Friday. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are eyeing this seat.

Under the by-election, 60.95 percent voters exercised their franchise in the voting held on Tuesday on this seat. Officials said on Thursday that security arrangements have been tightened at the counting center established at the ‘International College of Nursing’ located in Piddi.

Election officer Gurmeet Singh said that the counting of votes, which will start at 8 am, will be completed in 16 rounds. This is the seventh assembly by-election in Punjab since March 2022 and the ruling AAP had won five out of the last six by-elections.

This by-election is being seen as a litmus test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leaders. AAP has fielded three-time MLA from Tarn Tarn, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, who had joined the party in July.

There is also a lot at stake for the Congress party, which has fielded its Tarn Taran district unit chief Karanbir Singh Burj as its candidate for this by-election.

During the election campaign, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding faced criticism from rivals for his alleged ‘casteist’ remarks against former Union Minister Buta Singh, although he later apologized.

Tarn Taran by-election: Election important for SAD also

BJP, which is trying to make inroads in the state, has fielded its Tarn Taran district president Harjeet Singh Sandhu.

Senior leaders including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu took part in the election campaign.

This election is equally important for Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, who campaigned vigorously for party candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa.

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, AAP currently has 93 MLAs, Congress 16, Shiromani Akali Dal three, BJP two and Bahujan Samaj Party one. One seat is with an independent.

SSP of Tarn Taran, Punjab, Dr. Ravjot Kaur Grewal has been suspended. This action has been taken for interference in the by-elections. Amritsar Police Commissioner has been given additional charge. On behalf of the Chief Election Commissioner, it has been said that the Punjab Government will provide a panel of three officers.

Voting for Tarn Taran by-election will be held on November 11. The results of this by-election will be declared on November 14. This assembly seat had become vacant after the death of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June. The SSP has been accused of interference in this by-election, after which action was taken by the Election Commission.

SSP Tarn Taran, Punjab, has been suspended for interfering in the bye-elections. The CP of Amritsar has been given additional charge. Government of Punjab to provide a panel of three officers: CEC pic.twitter.com/DvIORJH3py

— IANS (@ians_india) November 8, 2025

SAD chief had also complained to SSP

According to the information, last month Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had filed a complaint against SSP Ravjot Kaur Grewal with the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab. In this, SSP Grewal was accused of misusing the police to register a ‘false’ FIR against his party’s leadership and workers to stop him from campaigning for the Tarn Taran by-election.