Congress Wins Gurdaspur Lok Sabha By-election By 1.93 Lakh Majority 

#Gurdaspur Lok Sabha by-election result:

Congress: 4,99,752, BJP: 3,06,533, AAP: 23,579

The Congress won a decisive mandate in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll with its candidate Sunil Jakhar getting over 1,93,000 votes majority over the BJP’s Swaran Salaria. The AAP’s Major General (retd) Suresh Khajuria came third.

The by-election necessitated by the death of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, who won the seat four times from BJP. The result comes as a 'Diwali gift' to the just reviving Congress while it shocked the BJP which expected a windfall in Gurdaspur by-election.

State minister, former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu says it’s a Diwali gift for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who will soon take over party reins. "We have sent a beautiful Diwali gift packed with red ribbon to our would-be president Rahul Gandhi because it sets the tone. It will be a shot in the arm for the Congress. This victory is a big slap on the face of 'jeeja-saala' (Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia). Today the BJP will realise that Akali Dal in Punjab has become a burden. Time and again people have reprimanded them. It will be demoralising and send them (SAD-BJP) packing," Sidhu posted on his Twitter handle.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh says the victory marks the “revival” of Congress in India.