- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Mon, 23 Jun 2025 04:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has finally got a moment to rejoice after facing multiple jolts, including the party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly Polls and the crackdown by the central agencies on their top leaders. This has come in the form of the party’s big victory in Ludhiana West and Visavdar assembly bypolls.
The AAP managed to retain both seats it had won in the respective assembly elections. AAP’s Sanjeev Arora emerged victorious in Ludhiana West by defeating Congress's Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10637 votes. In Gujarat, AAP's Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat by defeating BJP’s Kirit Patel.
A bypoll was necessitated in Ludhiana West due to the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. Sanjeev Arora, who is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, was fielded by the AAP from here. Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann rolled out an ardent campaign in favour of Arora. Kejriwal even promised that Sanjeev Arora will be in Mann’s cabinet if he manages to win the election.
In Gujarat’s Visavadar, AAP’s lone MLA Bhupendra Bhayani defected to the BJP, which called for a by-election.
Though AAP’s victory in Gujarat is equally important for the party’s national stature, Sanjeev Arora’s triumph in Ludhiana West has come as big news for Arvind Kejriwal. When Arora was fielded from this seat, psephologists said the move may pave the way for the AAP convener’s entry into Parliament.
Elected as an MLA, Arora is now set to resign from the Rajya Sabha seat, opening up the possibility of Arvind Kejriwal's nomination. The former Delhi chief minister has been accused in several cases and a Parliamentary position may offer him some level of immunity against legal actions.
The AAP chief however shot down the speculations around his Rajya Sabha nomination, saying, "Many times I have been sent to the Rajya Sabha. I want to tell you I am not going to the Rajya Sabha. The political affairs committee of the party will decide whom to nominate."
The party has been facing disappointments one after another– from the Delhi poll debacle to top leaders facing cases– and this victory will also serve as confidence booster for the party workers.
Reacting over the victory, Kejriwal said the results of Ludhiana West show that the people of Punjab are very happy with the work of the state government. He said people are fed up with the BJP in Gujarat and are seeing hope in Aam Aadmi Party.