New Delhi: Punjab's ruling Congress secured an emphatic win in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on Sunday. Punjab Congress unit chief Sunil Jakhar trouned BJP candidate Swaran Salaria by a whopping margin of 1,93,219 votes in the high stakes bypoll.
The seat was earlier held by the BJP, which had won it in 2014. The seat fell vacant in April following the passing away of veteran actor Vinod Khanna, a four-time MP from the seat.
Some facts about Sunil Jakhar
- Jakhar was born in Panjkosi village located in Abohar, Fazilka in Punjab.
- He is the son of late Balram Jakhar, who is credited of being the Lok Sabha speaker for two successive terms from 1980 to 1989.
- Sunil Jakhar is considered to be a very powerful leader in Punjab.
- He successfully contested the 2002, 2007 and 2012 assembly elections from Abohar.
- Jakhar was defeated by BJP candidate Arun Naran in 2017 Punjab Assembly polls.
- Congress nominated Sunil Jakhar as the head of Punjab unit in the May 2017.
- He is considered to be close to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
