Chandigarh, Sep 24 (NationPress) The Election Commission has declared that the by-election for a Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab will take place on October 24. This seat became vacant following the resignation of the current AAP member Sanjeev Arora.

Votes will be counted on the same day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nominations will commence after a notification is issued on October 6, with the last date to submit candidatures being October 13. The examination of nominations will occur the following day, October 14, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 16.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is prepared to nominate a candidate from within the party.

Despite speculation about AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal entering the Rajya Sabha, he has confirmed he is not a candidate.

Businessman-turned-politician Sanjeev Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha position on July 1 after winning the bypoll to the Ludhiana West assembly seat by more than 10,000 votes against Congress's Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

He is currently serving as a Cabinet minister in the government led by Bhagwant Mann.

As a first-time MP, Arora was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on April 10, 2022, with a term extending until April 9, 2028.

Following his candidacy for the Assembly bypoll, rumors circulated that Kejriwal, who recently faced defeats in the Delhi Assembly elections, was poised to take Arora’s place in the Rajya Sabha. Kejriwal lost the New Delhi seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes.

Other AAP members in the Rajya Sabha include Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, educator Ashok Mittal, environmentalist-religious leader Balbir Singh Seechewal, and entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sahney.

Insiders report that all six AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab have offered their seats to Kejriwal, but he has declined.

In response to speculation about Kejriwal running for the Rajya Sabha, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated, “Arvind Kejriwal is not going to the Rajya Sabha… media sources previously suggested he might become the Chief Minister of Punjab.”

“Arvind Kejriwal is the national convenor of AAP. Although his demand is significant, he is not restricted to one seat,” she informed reporters in Delhi.

However, the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab and Congress member Partap Singh Bajwa asserted that Kejriwal’s entry into the Rajya Sabha “is certain”.