How Kejriwal & Co scripted win after Delhi loss

The Aam Aadmi Party’s decisive victory in both Ludhiana West and Visavadar bypolls has given a much-needed boost to its convener and “strategist-in-chief,” Arvind Kejriwal. The wins signal a political resurgence for him after AAP’s setback in the Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year. Kejriwal has, however, made it clear that he will not replace the newly elected Ludhiana West MLA in the Rajya Sabha. The final decision, he stated, would be made in the party’s political affairs committee meeting scheduled for later this week.

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The victory in Ludhiana West, a constituency that, barring 2022, had been held by either the Congress or Akali Dal for nearly three decades, also underscores the success of AAP’s strategy of projecting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as the party’s face while Kejriwal, along with Punjab affairs in-charges Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, handled the backend political manoeuvring.

After the Delhi elections, Kejriwal and his close aides quickly shifted focus to the bypolls. AAP was the first to announce its candidate, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, as early as February. A prominent industrialist with no prior political baggage, Arora was seen by the party brass as an ideal Hindu businessman candidate for a constituency dominated by Hindu and business-class voters. His early nomination allowed him ample time to connect with voters, while the Congress and BJP announced their candidates just three weeks before polling.

AAP sources reveal that the party deliberately avoided countering the Opposition’s narrative that Kejriwal might replace Arora in the Rajya Sabha. “This ensured the Opposition narrative centred around that issue. Within the core group of Kejriwal’s strategists, it was clear that he will not go to the Rajya Sabha. Since he believes in AAP’s double engine in Punjab – Mann’s mass appeal and his own administrative and political acumen -- he is going to spend time in building the party structure here and in ensuring that policy making and implementation gather momentum and development works are unleashed,” said a senior party leader.

He said both Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann received an overwhelming response during campaigning and the party’s strong grassroots mobilisation, along with its victory in last December’s local body polls, further boosted Arora’s prospects. The party’s vote share rose from 34 per cent in 2022 to 39 per cent this time.

As the ruling party, AAP leveraged its position to woo industrialists and urban voters. Key industry-friendly decisions such as the land pooling policy, easing industrial plot regulations and cracking down on farmer union protests disrupting businesses helped consolidate support. These measures, coupled with the lifting of year-long dharnas at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, played a crucial role in securing urban votes and reinforcing AAP’s connect with the business community.