AAP Announces Sanjeev Arora as Candidate for Ludhiana West By-Election

Chandigarh

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared Sanjeev Arora, its Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, as the candidate for the upcoming Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, set to take place before July 11. This election follows the death of incumbent AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Gogi on January 11.

Sources suggest that Arora, a Ludhiana-based industrialist, will not resign from the Rajya Sabha immediately. The political landscape is closely monitored, particularly as the Opposition Congress has alleged that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is eyeing a Rajya Sabha seat after losing the New Delhi Assembly seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes. However, AAP leaders have dismissed these claims, stating there are no plans to accommodate Kejriwal in the Rajya Sabha.

AAP currently has seven Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, educationist Ashok Mittal, environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sahney, and Sanjeev Arora.

Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in Punjab, previously claimed that Kejriwal might contest the Ludhiana bypoll. In response, AAP reiterated that as the party’s national convener, Kejriwal’s focus should be on strengthening AAP at the national level. Insiders also noted that if he decided to pursue a Rajya Sabha seat, it would be relatively easy for him to secure one.

Sanjeev Arora, nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2022, is also known for his philanthropic work, particularly with the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust in Ludhiana. Last October, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at several locations linked to Arora, including his office at Hampton Homes, a luxury development on Chandigarh Road in Ludhiana.

The land in question was allocated to Ritesh Properties and Industries Ltd, one of Arora’s companies, for industrial use, but it was allegedly misused for a residential project. Arora serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of Ritesh Properties and Industries Limited (RPIL), which has interests in real estate, women’s clothing, and the fashion industry, and has developed the Hampton Court Business Park in Ludhiana.