NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
June 6, 2024: India’s former ambassador to the US and BJP candidate Taranjit Singh Sandhu lost the toughly contested Amritsar seat.
The incumbent, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla retained the seat, winning by a margin of 40,301 votes. His nearest rival was Aam Aadmi Party candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal who is also a cabinet minister.
While Aujla secured 2,55,181 votes, Dhaliwal got 2,14,880 votes and Sandhu came in third with 2,07,205 votes. The Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Anil Joshi came in 4th with 1,62,896 votes.
In a post on X, Sandhu conceded defeat and expressed gratitude to BJP for the opportunity to contest the elections.
“Grateful to @BJP4India leadership for the opportunity to contest the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. Thank you to all who voted & supported me. While the results weren’t in our favor, I remain committed to serving our #GuruNagri and working towards a #ViksitAmritsar,” he said.
As India’s Ambassador to the US, Sandhu presented his credentials to then President Donald Trump in early February 2020 and served until 31 January 2024.
He joined the BJP earlier this year, joining an exclusive club of ex-diplomats in politics under the Modi government. Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and S Jaishankar are also former diplomats.
