AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora registers resounding victory in Ludhiana (West) Assembly by-poll

Ludhiana, June 23, 2025: In a closely watched contest, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora registered a resounding victory in the Ludhiana (West) Assembly by-election, defeating senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes, as counting concluded after 14 rounds and postal ballots.

The bypoll, held on June 19, was necessitated by the untimely demise of sitting AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, and had 15 candidates in the fray. Arora, who was fielded by AAP to retain the legacy of the late MLA, received 35,179 votes, while Ashu, a former cabinet minister and MLA, secured 24,542 votes.

Final Tally of Key Candidates:
•    Sanjeev Arora (AAP): 35,179 votes
•    Bharat Bhushan Ashu (INC): 24,542 votes
•    Jiwan Gupta (BJP): 20,323 votes
•    Adv. Parupkar Singh Ghuman (SAD): 8,203 votes
•    NOTA (None of the Above): 793 votes
Total votes polled were 90,160, including 100 postal ballots.

Round-by-Round Dominance
Arora led from Round 1 itself, steadily increasing his margin over both Ashu and Jiwan Gupta throughout the 14 rounds of counting. His vote tally saw consistent strength across all rounds, with significant gains in Rounds 5 through 12.
Congress' Bharat Bhushan Ashu, despite a strong political background and local experience, could not bridge the gap. The result is a setback for Congress in Ludhiana, which was once a stronghold for the party.

Political Significance
This win is seen as a major boost for AAP, reaffirming its popularity in Punjab’s urban heartland and strengthening its hold in Ludhiana city. The bypoll was considered a test of the party’s urban voter base, particularly following the 2022 assembly victory.
Sanjeev Arora, speaking after his victory, thanked the party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and people of Ludhiana. 

AAP Consolidates Urban Support
With this bypoll victory, AAP not only retains the seat but further consolidates its urban vote base. It also sends a strong message ahead of future general assembly elections in Punjab.
 Sanjeev Arora, who won by-election from Ludhiana West, receiving the winning certificate from RO today.