Punjab's Shahkot Assembly bypoll results 2018: Congress' Laddi Sherowalia defeats SAD, AAP

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Congress candidate Laddi Sherowalia defeated Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates in Shahkot Assembly byelections in Punjab on Thursday. He won the election by 38,801 votes.

Over 76 per cent of more than 1.72 lakh voters had exercised their franchise for the Shahkot Assembly bypoll on May 29.

The Shahkot Assembly seat was seen as a popularity contest between the 14-month-old Congress government in Punjab, with opposition SAD striving to retain its stronghold. The seat is considered an Akali bastion. 

During the bypolls, reports of scuffle inside and outside the polling booths emerged, but the Election Commission said the the bypolls went peacefully by and large. 

Tight security arrangements were made for peaceful counting of votes. The Election Commission deployed 1,022 security personnel, including six companies of the Border Security Force, in Shahkot, an official said adding that 1,416 polling staff were also deployed.

There were 236 polling booths in the constituency, of which webcasting was held at 103 stations.

EVMs and Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) were used at all polling stations.