AAP reclaims lost ground; old parties flounder in Punjab

THE Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) sweeping victory in the Ludhiana West byelection is more than a routine mid-term win; it signals a strategic recalibration for the ruling party in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Sanjeev Arora’s decisive win by 10,637 votes over Congress veteran Bharat Bhushan Ashu consolidates AAP’s grip on an urban seat, once considered a BJP-Congress stronghold due to its high concentration of Hindu voters and business communities. AAP’s candidate selection and early announcement of Arora’s name gave it a first-mover advantage. Arora, a political newcomer with a clean slate and a strong industrialist background, emerged as a credible face in contrast to Ashu, weighed down by previous political baggage. This calculated move, coupled with high-voltage campaigning by top AAP leaders helped transform a low-turnout (51.33 per cent) bypoll into a prestige contest.