Arvind Kejriwal to Enter Rajya Sabha? AAP’s Move Sparks Speculation as Sanjeev Arora Fielded for Ludhiana West Bypoll
New Delhi/Chandigarh, February 26, 2025 – In a surprising political maneuver, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as the candidate for the upcoming Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll in Punjab, igniting widespread speculation about party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s potential entry into the Upper House of Parliament. The announcement, made on Wednesday, comes on the heels of AAP’s significant defeat in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections, where Kejriwal himself lost his New Delhi seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes.
The decision to field Sanjeev Arora, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab whose term runs until 2028, has raised eyebrows, as it would require him to resign from Parliament if he wins the bypoll. This has fueled rumors that AAP is paving the way for Kejriwal, its national convenor, to secure a Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab, a state where the party enjoys a strong foothold. The Ludhiana West seat fell vacant following the untimely death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi last month, necessitating a by-election that must be held within six months.
AAP’s national general secretary, Sandeep Pathak, confirmed Arora’s candidacy in a post on X, highlighting the party’s confidence in the Ludhiana-based businessman and MP. However, the move has drawn sharp reactions from political opponents, with Punjab’s Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa boldly claiming that Kejriwal’s Rajya Sabha entry is a foregone conclusion. “This will 100% happen,” Bajwa told reporters, suggesting that Kejriwal had initially considered contesting the Ludhiana West bypoll himself but stepped back due to potential backlash from Punjabis against an “outsider.” Instead, Bajwa alleged, Kejriwal has orchestrated Arora’s candidacy to vacate a Rajya Sabha seat for himself.
The AAP, however, has been quick to dismiss these claims as baseless speculation. Party spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar refuted the rumors, stating, “Arvind Kejriwal is not going to the Rajya Sabha. Media reports previously claimed he would become Punjab’s Chief Minister, and now they say he’ll contest for Rajya Sabha—both are completely false. As our national convenor, his role transcends any single position.” Punjab AAP spokesperson Jagtar Singh Sanghera echoed this sentiment, calling the speculation a “rumor spread by opposition parties” and emphasizing that Arora was chosen for his deep connection to Ludhiana.
Political analysts see this as a strategic move by AAP to reposition Kejriwal after the Delhi debacle, where the party lost its decade-long grip on the capital. With all AAP Rajya Sabha members from Punjab and Delhi holding terms until 2028 or 2030, a vacancy created by Arora’s potential resignation could provide Kejriwal a direct path to Parliament. However, the BJP, which holds a majority in the Delhi Assembly, would likely dominate any Rajya Sabha bypoll from the capital, making Punjab a more viable route for AAP.
The opposition has seized the opportunity to criticize AAP’s intentions. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned Kejriwal’s motives on X, asking if this reflected a “Sheesh Mahal mindset” and a “lust for sarkari bungalows.” Meanwhile, Congress and BJP leaders have accused AAP of internal instability, pointing to recent claims by Bajwa that 32 AAP MLAs in Punjab are in touch with him, ready to switch sides.
As the Election Commission is yet to announce the bypoll date, all eyes are on Ludhiana West, where Arora’s candidacy will test AAP’s strength in Punjab. Whether this marks the beginning of Kejriwal’s parliamentary journey or remains a political gambit shrouded in speculation, the coming weeks promise to reshape AAP’s trajectory in Indian politics.