AAP’s road show in Ludhiana leaves commuters harried

A massive road show was held on Friday by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), followed by filing of nomination by its candidate Sanjeev Arora for the Ludhiana West bypoll.

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The road show started from Aarti Chowk and went through Ghumar Mandi. Afterwards, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann left the place. Later, the AAP candidate along with Aman Arora reached the DC’s office in the Mini-Secretariat for the filing of nomination papers.

Sonia Grewal, a commuter who got stuck in a traffic jam on Ferozepur Road, said it was only a bypoll and look the way political parties were splurging on roadshows and campaigning.

“It is only the people who are facing inconvenience due to such roadshows. I had an appointment with a doctor but could not reach on time as I got stuck in the traffic jam,” she said.

Another resident, Gurminder Singh, said taking out a road show on the occasion of Shaheedi Diwas of Guru Arjan Dev was not a good idea.

“Today is a sacred day, and they are taking out a political procession,” he said.

A student, Aarti Khanna, who was rushing to attend her class at BRS Nagar, was among those got stuck in the traffic jam. She said on Thursday, she was late for her class due to a traffic congestion on Ferozepur Road and today, she think she will miss the class as the traffic was moving at a slow pace.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann energised the crowd, emphasising the party’s commitment to good governance.

Speaking about the Ludhiana West segment, Kejriwal recalled: “In 2022, you voted against arrogance and anger by electing Gurpreet Gogi as your MLA. While his untimely demise was a great loss, Sanjeev Arora is now here to continue his legacy. Arora needs no introduction as he is a true son of Ludhiana. As Narendra Modi claims sindoor flows in his veins, I say Ludhiana flows in Sanjeev Arora’s veins.”

Kejriwal lauded Arora’s dedication to Ludhiana, stating: “He is always thinking about Ludhiana’s progress and advocating for the city’s development. There could be no better candidate and representative for Ludhiana West.”

In his speech, Arora highlighted the work done by him and his party, especially longstanding issues that had been unresolved for over 50 years.

He vowed to transform Ludhiana into a “model city”, if elected, stating that people from across the country would look up to Ludhiana as an example to emulate.

Party’s state president Aman Arora in an informal interaction with mediapersons said Sanjeev Arora was widely recognised for his consistent efforts for holistic development across Ludhiana and its surrounding areas. He termed the RS MP as a visionary leader who has worked relentlessly to improve infrastructure, public amenities and quality of life.

“The BJP has not even found any candidate so far and will make someone a scapegoat soon, “ he said.

Meanwhile, SAD candidate Parupkar Singh Ghuman has complained to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEC), Sibin C, that official machinery was used during the AAP road show and no permission was sought from the authorities for the same.