Elections Results 2024: Six independent candidates on way to victory
The Hindu
Six independent candidates poised for Lok Sabha victory, despite historical data showing low success rates for independents.
Only six independent candidates appeared headed towards victory in the Lok Sabha polls this time, even as almost half of the over 8,000 candidates fought without any party affiliation.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 LIVE updates
Among independent candidates, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, emerged as a giant slayer, leading against J&K National Conference leader Omar Abdullah with a margin of over 1,86,000 votes.
Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, one of the two assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, fought as an independent candidate from Faridkot in Punjab. He was leading against his nearest rival Karamjit Singh Anmol of the Aam Aadmi Party with a margin of over 66,000 votes.
Singh had earlier unsuccessfully contested elections in 2014 and 2019.
Meanwhile, radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was leading in Punjab's Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat over the Congress's Kulbir Singh Zira. Amritpal, the chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit who is currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, fought the elections as an Independent.
In Maharashtra's Sangli, Vishal Prakashbapu Patil, a Congress rebel who fought as an Independent after Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded a candidate from the seat, was leading on the seat with a margin of over 93,000 votes. He is the grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil.
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