In a lead-up to the highly anticipated Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, the political arena is abuzz with activity as parties strategically position themselves and unveil their candidates for key constituencies. Among these contenders, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has emerged as a frontrunner, demonstrating a proactive approach by announcing its candidates for nine out of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The party is set to announce its candidates for the other two seats — Ludhiana and Jalandhar — on April 16.
With this, AAP will take the lead in announcing a total 11 candidates, leaving just two seats. Apart from the ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is contesting the 2024 election on its own since 1996, is the only major political party to have declared six candidates till date. In contrast, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are yet to finalize its candidate even for a single seat.
In its initial list, AAP unveiled candidates for eight Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, including seasoned leaders and prominent figures — Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer for Sangrur, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for Amritsar, Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian for Bathinda, and Laljit Singh Bhullar for Khadoor Sahib. Besides fielding five Cabinet Ministers in Punjab, the party is leveraging their experience and credibility to bolster its electoral prospects.
Building on its momentum, AAP announced two additional candidates in its second list — party’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang for Sri Anandpur Sahib and former Congress MLA Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal for Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat.
The forthcoming announcement of two more candidates on April 16 will bring the total to 11 out of 13 candidates finalized for the state, demonstrating AAP's comprehensive approach to candidate selection.
The choice of constituencies for candidate announcements is strategic, with AAP focusing on regions where it has garnered significant support and achieved electoral success in the past. Jalandhar, a Scheduled Caste reserved seat, has emerged as a key battleground for AAP, given its strong performance in the region during the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. In fact, the party had its only Lok Sabha member from Jalandhar only.
Former Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku had switched to AAP in April 2023, to successfully contest Jalandhar bypoll, necessitated following the sudden demise of sitting Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary. AAP again decided to lay its bet on Rinku — who, few days after the announcement of his name, gave up the ‘broom’ to hold the ‘lotus’. He is now seeking reelection as BJP candidate.
In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a more measured approach, having declared candidates for six Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, including Congress’ two former MPs — Preneet Kaur from Patiala and Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana. While the BJP's candidate list is still incomplete, the party appears to be deliberating its choices carefully, possibly considering factors such as electoral viability and alliance dynamics.
Meanwhile, both the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have yet to announce any candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. This delay may stem from internal deliberations within the parties, alliance negotiations, or strategic considerations regarding candidate selection.
