AAP wins Ludhiana bypoll in Punjab; political circles see it as a face-saving victory

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Monday (June 23, 2025) won the by-election for the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency, even as the Opposition parties blamed the AAP of “misusing government machinery” for securing the win.

AAP’s Sanjeev Arora, who is its Rajya Sabha MP, defeated Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes by securing 35,179 votes. Mr. Ashu got 24,542 votes while the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jiwan Gupta with 20,323 votes stood at third place. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman secured 8,203 votes to end in the fourth position.

Assembly bypoll results LIVE updates

After the AAP’s debacle in the recent Delhi Assembly election, and a poor show in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which it won only three parliamentary constituencies of the 13 it contested in Punjab, the Ludhiana West by-election result is seen in political ciricles as a face-saving victory, which is expected to lift the party’s spirit in Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, in a social media post, wrote: “Heartiest congratulations to all the leaders and workers of the AAP on this resounding win! This remarkable triumph reflects the people’s immense satisfaction with our government’s work. We remain committed to working tirelessly, with honesty and fairness, to drive Punjab’s progress and prosperity. Every promise made during the by-election will be fulfilled as a top priority.”

Meanwhile, hours after his defeat in the Ludhiana bypoll, Mr. Ashu resigned as Working President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, even as Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said: “The party will, however, do a serious introspection about the result.” He asserted that the Congress remains strong right up to the grassroots, and the by-election result is not a big deal.

Terming the AAP’s win as “nothing special”, the Punjab Congress president said: “The AAP party has used all the official machinery for the purpose.” BJP’s Punjab president Sunil Jakhar said the by-election result is a mirror for the AAP government, which fought its entire campaign relying on government machinery but could only secure a victory by a narrow margin.

Regarding the BJP, he said they contested with complete unity, and the votes received by the party indicate that the people of Punjab are now looking for a solid alternative to the AAP and the Congress in the State.

“We thank our voters and accept the people’s verdict. These elections are a signal that it is high time for the BJP to start its work with full preparation and planning for 2027,” he said.