A Shot in the Arm for the Party, a Possible Gateway to Rajya Sabha for Kejriwal?
Sanjeev Arora, an industrialist-turned-politician and sitting Rajya Sabha MP, secured 35,179 votes, while his nearest rival Ashu garnered 24,542. BJP’s Jiwan Gupta stood third with 20,323 votes, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman trailed in fourth with 8,203 votes. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi earlier this year.
THE NEWS DOSE DESK
Ludhiana/Chandigarh, June 23
In a significant political development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a convincing victory in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, with its candidate Sanjeev Arora defeating senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes. The result, declared after 14 rounds of counting on Monday, further solidifies AAP’s grip on urban Punjab and comes as a timely morale booster for the party amid ongoing political turbulence.
Sanjeev Arora, an industrialist-turned-politician and sitting Rajya Sabha MP, secured 35,179 votes, while his nearest rival Ashu garnered 24,542. BJP’s Jiwan Gupta stood third with 20,323 votes, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman trailed in fourth with 8,203 votes. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi earlier this year.
Kejriwal’s Response: A Political Undercurrent
Reacting to the victory, AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “People of Punjab are very happy with the work of the AAP government. They have again reposed faith in our party, while rejecting both BJP and Congress, who together conspired to defeat us.” Kejriwal claimed that both Congress and BJP fought with a shared aim to dethrone AAP—but voters saw through their design and delivered a clear verdict.
Interestingly, this was Kejriwal’s first public statement after being granted bail in the Delhi excise policy case, and the timing of the bypoll victory allows him to reclaim some lost political ground.
Implications: A Springboard to Rajya Sabha?
Political observers believe the Ludhiana West win could open the door for significant internal reshuffles within AAP—and potentially, an opportunity for Kejriwal to enter Parliament via the Rajya Sabha route.
Currently, AAP has seven Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, all elected in 2022 after the party’s landslide Assembly win. Sanjeev Arora is one of them, and with him now elected as an MLA, speculation is rife that he may vacate his Rajya Sabha seat in favour of party leadership.
If Arora resigns from the Upper House, the AAP-led Punjab government will have the prerogative to nominate a candidate of its choice to the vacant seat. Given Kejriwal’s recent legal troubles and the need to reposition him at the national level, many insiders feel this could be a strategic move to ensure his presence in Parliament, especially when direct Lok Sabha entry remains uncertain.
Furthermore, a Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab would not only be symbolically significant for Kejriwal, as Punjab is AAP’s strongest state unit, but also tactically important. It would give him a platform in the House to raise national issues and mount a broader political comeback.
Voter Turnout and Changing Dynamics
The voter turnout for the bypoll stood at 51.33%, significantly lower than the 64% recorded during the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. While a dip in turnout is typical for bypolls, the decisive mandate in favour of AAP—especially in a traditionally Congress-leaning urban constituency like Ludhiana West—signals a notable shift in voter mood.
Ludhiana West, once a Congress bastion, had seen Bharat Bhushan Ashu represent it twice in the Punjab Assembly and even serve as a cabinet minister. His loss, despite being a high-profile face, underscores the growing disenchantment with traditional parties in Punjab’s urban centres.
Political Impact
This bypoll result also comes as a reality check for both Congress and BJP. For Congress, it’s a loss of face in a constituency once considered its stronghold. For BJP, despite some inroads, the inability to convert urban discontent into votes continues to haunt its Punjab strategy.
The outcome also bolsters AAP’s position ahead of the 2026 Punjab municipal polls and helps repair some of the reputational damage caused by the arrest of top leaders in Delhi. With this win, the AAP narrative of “good governance in Punjab” gets renewed traction.
While bypolls are often dismissed as micro-level skirmishes with limited national impact, the Ludhiana West result could be a turning point—both in Punjab politics and within AAP’s internal strategy. If Sanjeev Arora vacates his Rajya Sabha seat and Kejriwal is nominated, it would mark a dramatic re-entry of the AAP supremo into Parliament—this time from Punjab, not Delhi.
The next few weeks will reveal whether the Ludhiana West victory becomes just another win—or a springboard for Arvind Kejriwal’s larger political reinvention.
