Punjab: Congress wins Shahkot seat with 38,801 margin votes
What's the story
Punjab's ruling Congress candidate Hardev Singh Ladi today won Shahkot Assembly by-poll, defeating his nearest rival, Shiromani Akali Dal nominee Naib Singh Kohar, by a margin of 38,801 votes.
Ladi got 82,745 votes while Akali Dal's candidate Kohar polled 43,944 votes, an Election Commission official said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan polled just 1,900 votes.
Here are more details.
Total seats
With 78 seats, Congress will have two-third majority in House
The by-poll was necessitated after the death of Ajit Singh Kohar in February 2018.
With this victory, Congress's strength in 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha will reach 78, a two-thirds majority in the House.
Congress wrested the Shahkot by-poll from Akali Dal. The Assembly seat was considered an Akali borough with late Ajit Singh Kohar, Naib Singh Khar's father, being elected five times from there.