CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab deputy chief minister and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday won the Jalalabad assembly by-election by over 80,000 votes even as the ruling Akali Dal in Punjab won all three assembly by-elections in the state.
Akali Dal candidate Jasjit Singh Bunny, son of former cooperation minister Kanwaljit Singh, won the Banur assembly seat in Mohali district by nearly 20,000 votes. Akali leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan won by over 12,000 votes from the Kahnuwan assembly seat in Gurdaspur district.
"This is a victory for the people of Jalalabad. I thank them for the faith reposed in me," Sukhbir Badal said after his victory.
With Sukhbir Badal's win, the attention in Punjab politics is back to his being sworn-in as deputy chief minister in the Punjab government headed by his father Parkash Singh Badal.
"I am serving the party. I will accept whatever responsibility they give to me," Badal junior said about speculation about his re-induction into the state cabinet.
Sukhbir Badal had to resign as deputy chief minister last month as he failed to fulfil the constitutional requirement of getting elected to the assembly within six months of being sworn in as a minister.
He had become Punjab deputy chief minister in January this year.
Sources in the Punjab government said that preparations were underway for the re-induction of Sukhbir into the government.