Is Ludhiana's Bypoll a Crucial Test for AAP in Punjab?

Ludhiana, June 1 (NationPress) BJP's national General Secretary Tarun Chugh stated on Sunday that Punjab is burdened with a debt exceeding Rs 4 lakh crore while campaigning for Jeewan Gupta, the BJP candidate for the June 19 Ludhiana (West) bypoll. He urged the public to unveil the theatrical performances of the AAP government in Punjab.

In a press conference, Chugh remarked that this bypoll serves as a crucial test for Punjab, which is currently grappling with AAP's disorganized and ineffective administration. "Punjab is encountering a serious law and order crisis, and due to severe financial mismanagement, the state is struggling under a debt exceeding Rs 4 lakh crore," Chugh declared.

He emphasized that Ludhiana, once recognized as the industrial hub of India, is now contending with inadequate basic infrastructure, an increase in organized crime, and widespread drug addiction. Investors are relocating to other states, and the youth of Punjab feel let down by AAP's unfulfilled promises of employment and prosperity.

Chugh criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, labeling him a puppet under Arvind Kejriwal. He asserted, "Just as the residents of Delhi rejected Kejriwal, the people of Punjab will similarly dismiss Bhagwant Mann in 2027." BJP candidate Jeewan Gupta, expressing gratitude to the party leadership for the opportunity, stated he is optimistic and resolute. He mentioned that the business community in Punjab is particularly suffering under the Mann administration due to the absence of a coherent and consistent industrial policy.

Gupta assured that with public backing, he will amplify the voices that AAP has silenced in Punjab.

The bypoll for the Ludhiana (West) Assembly was necessitated by the passing of Gurpreet Gogi Bassi, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head at his home in January. The election is scheduled for June 17, with ballot counting set for June 23 alongside four other Assembly seats—two in Gujarat and one each in Kerala and West Bengal.

In February, the state Aam Aadmi Party selected Sanjeev Arora, a Rajya Sabha MP, as its candidate for the by-election, while the main opposition, Congress, has nominated former Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who faces accusations in a multi-crore foodgrain transportation and labor cartage tender scam.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has put forth Parupkar Singh Ghuman for the bypoll.

By fielding the current MP, rumors in political circles suggest that AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, who is re-engaging in state politics after a significant defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, may seek a Rajya Sabha seat should Arora win the bypoll. However, the party has denied any plans for Kejriwal to transition to the Rajya Sabha.

In October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the residence of AAP candidate Arora in Ludhiana as part of a money laundering investigation linked to a land 'fraud' case. The raid was associated with a parcel of land allocated to Ritesh Properties and Industries Limited, one of Arora's companies, by the state government for an industrial project, which was instead utilized for a residential development.

In the 2022 Assembly elections, AAP's legislator Gogi, who joined the party shortly before the polls, defeated two-time legislator Bharat Bhushan Ashu in Ludhiana (West), a traditional Congress stronghold in urban seats.