Senior BJP leaders camp in Ludhiana to boost Jiwan Gupta’s byelection campaign

In a significant show of strength and strategy, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including ex-Punjab BJP presidents Avinash Rai Khanna, Manoranjan Kalia, Ashwani Sharma, Shwait Malik and former cabinet minister Tikshan Sood have begun camping in Ludhiana in support of party’s candidate Jiwan Gupta.

The party has deployed a high-powered team of seasoned leaders and organisation stalwarts to galvanise support and counter the stronghold of opposition parties, especially the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress. Former MP Avinash Rai Khanna, known for his organisational grip, has also been made in-charge of Ludhiana West assembly segment to coordinate the entire door-to-door campaign outreach and cadre mobilisation.

Talking to The Tribune, Avinash Rai Khanna said the party is contesting not just to win a seat, but to lay the foundation for its resurgence in urban Punjab. “This bypoll is a litmus test. We are working at the grassroots, holding ward-level meetings and directly engaging with local traders, industrialists and youth,” he said.

“Candidates of Congress and AAP are crorepatis, whereas the BJP candidate is a common worker, who is getting good support from the public,” said Khanna.

Speaking to The Tribune, Manoranjan Kalia said, “People are fed up with the theatrics and inaction of the current AAP government. Our campaign is focused on real issues – jobs, infrastructure and safety. Ludhiana, being Punjab’s industrial heart, needs serious leadership and clean governance.”

All these leaders are handling the party’s strategy and booth-level management, ensuring that the party’s message penetrates all sections of the constituency. They are also holding interactions with religious and social groups to consolidate the BJP’s outreach.

The BJP’s Ludhiana campaign is being described as one of its most intensive localised pushes in recent years, with a mix of digital campaigning, public meetings and grassroots mobilisation. Special focus is being placed on first-time voters and urban professionals.

Party insiders say that the central leadership is closely monitoring the campaign, and senior national leaders may visit Ludhiana in the coming days to boost momentum. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and Delhi cabinet minister Manjinder Sirsa have already been campaigning in Ludhiana West for the last few days.

With the constituency becoming a battleground for narrative control, all eyes are now on how the BJP’s aggressive campaigning will play out against its rivals.