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Jagtar Singh, spokesperson, Punjab AAP, said, “Sanjeev Arora is from Ludhiana, so he is being fielded in the by-election…The news of Kejriwal going to the Rajya Sabha is a rumour. The Opposition parties are spreading it.”
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal lost his Delhi assembly seat. (File)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded its Punjab Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora for the Ludhiana West bypoll, triggering strong speculation that the seat has been vacated for the entry of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Parliament.
Jagtar Singh Sanghera, spokesperson, Punjab AAP, said, “Sanjeev Arora is from Ludhiana, so he is being fielded in the by-election. The party will deliberate on who will be the candidate for Rajya Sabha. The news of Kejriwal going to the Rajya Sabha is a rumour. The Opposition parties are spreading rumours. There was no discussion in the party about Kejriwal going to the Rajya Sabha.”
Arora, meanwhile, posted on X: “Humbled and grateful to the leadership @AamAadmiParty for reposing faith in me to contest the Ludhiana West bye-elections. As someone deeply connected to my hometown, I look forward to serving my people with dedication and sincerity.”
THE POLITICAL BUZZ
BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned the move on X: “Aam Aadmi Party has announced Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the Ludhiana West by-election. Media is saying that Kejriwal will make Sanjeev Arora vacate his Rajya Sabha seat for himself…Is this the Sheesh mahal mindset & lust for Sarkari Bungalow, VVIP facilities.. Those who said will stay in 2BHK flat now want big bungalow.. and perhaps some sort of imagined constitutional immunity against grave corruption charges confirmed by CAG reports in public domain?”
Aam Aadmi Party has announced Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the Ludhiana West by-electionMedia is saying that Kejriwal will make Sanjeev Arora vacate his Rajya Sabha seat for himself..
Is this the Sheesh mahal mindset & lust for Sarkari Bungalow, VVIP… pic.twitter.com/ELb6PnHIBp
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) February 26, 2025
On speculations around Kejriwal entering the Rajya Sabha, Punjab LoP and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, “This will 100% happen. First, Kejriwal wanted to come through Gurpreet’s (deceased AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi) seat. But then he felt that this would have a massive reaction in Punjab and Punjabis wouldn’t stand outsiders. So he took a step back.”
“Whatever I predicted is coming right. We all know there is a tussle between AAP in Delhi and Punjab.”
News18 had on February 10 reported that after losing his MLA seat in the Delhi assembly elections, Kejriwal was likely to move to the Rajya Sabha. Speaking to News18, a party leader had then said that all the positions he held so far were a means of social welfare. “The aim of coming to power was to serve the people. We will continue that. If not as the Chief Minister of Delhi, then maybe as a Rajya Sabha MP,” the leader said, demanding anonymity. He had also explained that holding a position is not exactly the aim, but it adds authority to what you are saying. “As a public representative, you have the power to raise the issues being faced by the masses. Although he is heading a national party, a Rajya Sabha membership would help further,” he had said.
From winning more than 60 out of 70 seats in 2015 and 2020, the AAP’s tally in the Delhi assembly dropped to just 22 in 2025. Kejriwal and some of his important leaders lost their seats. Now, the AAP is in the opposition in Delhi.
THE NUMBER GAME
The party has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, seven from Punjab and three from Delhi. The seats in Delhi have a tenure till 2030, while those from Punjab are valid till 2028.
Currently, Sanjay Singh and Narain Dass Gupta are the Rajya Sabha members from Delhi from the AAP. Swati Maliwal, who has turned critical of Kejriwal and the AAP in the last few months, is also representing the AAP in the Rajya Sabha. While it is the first term for Maliwal, Singh and Gupta have been the party’s RS choice in the last term as well.
The AAP will need to make one of them MPs resign for Kejriwal’s entry. However, the AAP cannot win back the Rajya Sabha seat if a Delhi Rajya Sabha MP resigns, since it no longer has the numbers in Delhi.
But it does have 93 MLAs and three MPs in Punjab and can easily regain a seat from there.
