Cong, SAD Candidates File Nominations; BJP to Reveal Pick Soon for Ludhiana West Seat

The ballot battleground of Ludhiana West assembly constituency on Thursday witnessed major political action as the Congress candidate for June 19 bypoll, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Parupkar Singh Ghuman filed their nomination papers, formally entering the fray for the high-stakes contest. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to announce its candidate anytime now, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora—in an attempt to retain the seat — setting the stage for a multi-cornered and fiercely competitive electoral battle in one of Punjab’s most politically-significant constituencies.
 
The last date to file nominations is June 2, while the results for the seat vacated after AAP’s MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi’s shocking death will be declared on June 23.
 
The Congress made a massive show of strength during Ashu’s nomination, with a cavalcade of nearly 250 vehicles and thousands of enthusiastic supporters flooding Ferozepur road. The grand procession brought traffic to a grinding halt and culminated in Ashu filing his papers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The event turned into a virtual political rally, with senior Congress leaders including state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma, and several senior legislators from across Punjab in attendance. The mood was electric, with party workers raising slogans, waving flags, and projecting the bypoll as a turning point for the Congress ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
 
Before heading for nomination, Ashu addressed the media at his local office in Sandhu Tower, where he launched a scathing attack on the ruling AAP Government, accusing it of failing on every administrative and developmental front. “In the last five years under Congress, Ludhiana saw progress. In the last three years, AAP has only delivered hollow promises. Every government office is in limbo, and public services are paralysed. People are ready to throw this government out,” he said. He warned against any electoral malpractice, adding, “If they try strong-arm tactics, let me remind them — I’m not wearing bangles.”
  
SAD's candidate and advocate by profession Parupkar Singh Ghuman, also filed his nomination earlier in the day, accompanied by senior party leaders, including former Ministers Hira Singh Gabria and Daljit Singh Cheema, and former MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon. The Akali camp refrained from flamboyant processions, instead focusing on symbolic strength and seasoned leadership support to convey seriousness about its prospects in the contest. Ghuman’s candidature is being positioned as a traditionalist and panthic counter to both Congress and AAP.
  
The Aam Aadmi Party, which holds power in Punjab, has fielded its sitting Rajya Sabha MP and industrialist Sanjeev Arora as its candidate, though his nomination is yet to be filed. While the party is expected to mount an intensive campaign, it is already under fire from opposition leaders who are portraying the bypoll as a verdict on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Congress leader and former Chief Minister Channi, in his fiery address, declared that the election “is not a fight between Ashu and Sanjeev Arora. This is a fight between Punjab and Arvind Kejriwal. Just like the British were driven out, Punjab will now send Kejriwal back to Delhi”.
 
Adding to the Congress's offensive, Warring said that Ashu’s victory would mark the beginning of the party’s resurgence in Punjab. “This is more than a by-election. It is the people’s chance to lay the foundation for a Congress government in 2027,” he said. Bhupesh Baghel also echoed the sentiment, declaring the “writing on the wall” in favour of the Congress.
  
With just days left for nominations to close for the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, the saffron party is expected to announce its candidate anytime now — much later than its political rivals, putting it at a disadvantage in the high-stakes contest scheduled for June 19. The BJP is expected to name its pick by Thursday evening. The delay has caused unease within the party ranks, as the eventual candidate will have limited time to campaign effectively in the hotly contested seat.
 
Among the frontrunners in the BJP camp is advocate Bikram Singh Sidhu, who is being seriously considered due to his past performance and visibility in the constituency. Party sources confirmed that state general secretary Jivan Gupta is also in the reckoning. Additionally, Rashi Aggarwal — daughter-in-law of former mayor and senior Congress leader Hemraj Aggarwal — has also emerged as a strong female contender. A former Congress councillor, Rashi switched loyalties to the BJP in 2022, famously stating that while her “body was in Congress, her soul always belonged to the BJP”.
 
The BJP is reportedly reviewing past voting patterns and weighing caste and local dynamics before making the final call. Once declared, the BJP candidate will face the challenge of bridging the campaign gap with Congress’ Ashu and AAP’s Arora — both of whom have had a head start in voter outreach.
 
Till now, a total of five nominations have been filed, including two covering candidates — Congress’s Mamta Ashu for Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and SAD’s Arvinder Kaur Ghumman for Parupkar Ghuman. Independent candidate Engineer Baldev Raj Debi had filed his papers on Wednesday.
 
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has named Navneet Gopi as its nominee, who has been actively campaigning and urging voters to reject traditional parties in favour of ideological clarity.
 
With all major players now either in the ring or preparing to jump in, the Ludhiana West bypoll is shaping up to be a crucial litmus test for Punjab’s political forces. The last date for filing nominations is June 2, while the scrutiny of papers will be conducted on June 3. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 5. Nomination papers can also be filed on May 30 (Friday) and 31 (Saturday).