BJP's Jiwan Gupta files nomination for Ludhiana West bypoll

On the final day for filing nominations for the Ludhiana West by-election, scheduled for June 19, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demonstrated a strong show of unity and strength as its candidate Jiwan Gupta submitted his nomination papers.

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From Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu to Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, Vijay Rupani, Ashwani Sharma, Manpreet Singh Badal, Shwait Malik, and Som Parkash, the party’s leadership turned up to back Gupta’s candidature.

Although the BJP announced Gupta’s candidature late, the impressive turnout of senior leaders made the occasion eye-catching.

Addressing locals and party workers, Jakhar took a jibe at the opposition. He revealed that while in Europe recently, he was sent a video in which Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu was “missing” the Punjab BJP president. “Ashu ji, here I am. Tumne pukara aur hum chale aaye,” said Jakhar, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.

Jakhar accused both the Congress and AAP of fostering internal sabotage, saying, “They don’t need external opposition — they are feeding ‘aasteen ke saanp’ (snakes in the sleeve) who will destroy them from within.”

He urged BJP workers to stay focused on the party’s development agenda rather than worrying about rivals.

In a sharp critique of AAP, Jakhar alleged that Punjab was being run remotely from Delhi. “It’s Delhi that decides who will look after the Secretariat, who checks the CM’s kothi, or when to open the fridge to serve drinks,” he said satirically.

Meanwhile, Ravneet Singh Bittu invoked his own electoral success in the Ludhiana West constituency, urging voters to show similar support for Jiwan Gupta. “He is a dedicated worker of both the RSS and BJP, and truly deserves your vote,” Bittu said.