Kejriwal announces to make Sanjeev Arora Punjab minister if he wins Ludhiana West bypoll

“If you elect Sanjeev Arora your MLA, we will make him a Cabinet minister. With ministerial power and resources, he will transform Ludhiana West,” Kejriwal declared.

Arora, an industrialist and a Rajya Sabha member, is contesting a four-cornered battle in Ludhiana West.

Opposition parties in the state, however, have alleged Kejriwal of fielding Arora to clear his way to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab after being defeated in the Delhi Assembly elections. Kejriwal would go to any extent to make Arora win the Ludhiana West seat for his own benefit and entry in Rajya Sabha , they alleged.

The bypoll was necessitated after AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi died in January. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, Gogi had defeated Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former minister.

Reiterating that it was a contest between “ahankaar” (arrogance) and “pyaar” (love), Kejriwal urged the voters, “This time, vote for a leader who is polite, approachable and committed to serving you. Sanjeev Arora is not just a candidate; he is a visionary who will ensure development in every aspect of your life. Vote for someone humble and dedicated, not the arrogant one.”

“AAP’s vision for Punjab is clear. Together, we will make Ludhiana West a model constituency,” Kejriwal said.

Mann said, “It is shameful that even before the rituals for Gogi’s passing were complete, the Opposition began planning their political moves.”

Pointing out “factionalism” in the Congress, Mann criticised Raja Warring and Charanjit Channi for “prioritising personal rivalries over public welfare. They fight for chairs while we fight for Punjab.”

Hitting back at Ashu for stating that “Kejriwal treats AAP Punjab leaders and workers as second-class citizens”, AAP state president Aman Arora said, “Congress leaders consistently treated ordinary people as second-class, which led to their political decline.”

“The question is, how did you govern as a minister? You rebuked a female education officer and openly threatened police officials. You are facing allegations of corruption to the tune of hundreds of crores. Do you expect us to follow suit? Our ministers neither engage in such behaviour nor intend to,” Arora shot back at Ashu.

Arora said, “The AAP’s governance model is to serve honestly and with integrity. Threatening or abusing others is not part of our party’s culture, and we do not tolerate it. It’s better to do less but do everything with honesty and humility than to act wrongly.”

He said the people of Ludhiana West would deliver their verdict on “Ashu’s style of politics” on June 19.

Arora accused the Congress of betraying Punjab, alleging that its leaders prioritised loyalty to “their Delhi and Italy-based high command” over the state’s interests. “Congress leaders sold their self-respect to their high command, shielded mafia, and indulged in scams worth thousands of crores,” he alleged.

He further alleged, “A Congress chief minister allowed a Pakistani citizen to operate from his office, forcing Punjab’s people to comply.”

Arora criticised the Congress for “failing to generate employment or drive development, instead fostering drug and sand mafia while prioritising personal and familial gains over Punjab’s welfare. For Congress, power is everything, and the common people are irrelevant”.