The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced candidates for 71 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies for the 2027 elections, providing an early indication of its electoral strategy across the state. The party announced its first list of 40 candidates on October 31 and followed it with a second list of 31 candidates on November 12. Candidates for the remaining 46 constituencies are yet to be announced.
A constituency-wise analysis of the 2022 Punjab Assembly election results in these 71 seats reveals that AAP had won 50 of them, Congress had secured 16, while the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had won two seats each. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won one constituency.
It is important to distinguish this figure from AAP’s overall performance in the 2022 Assembly elections. The party had registered a historic victory by winning 92 of Punjab’s 117 seats. The figure of 50 refers only to the 71 constituencies for which the party has now announced candidates for 2027.
In the 71 constituencies, AAP won 50 seats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, followed by Congress with 16 seats. The BJP and SAD won two seats each, while the BSP secured one seat.
In the 15 Majha constituencies for which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the party has fielded Swaran S Salaria from Sujanpur, Rohit Syal from Pathankot, Raman Bahl from Gurdaspur, Shamsher Singh from Dina Nagar, Guriqbal Singh Mahal from Qadian, Harjobanjit Singh Randhawa from Fatehgarh Churian, Amansher Singh (Sherry Kalsi) from Batala, Sonia Mann from Raja Sansi, Talbir Singh Gill from Majitha, Karamjit Singh Rintu from Amritsar North, Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar from Amritsar South, Harmeet Singh Sandhu from Tarn Taran, Jaskanwar Singh Gill (Jassa Patti) from Patti, Sarvan Singh Dhun from Khem Karan and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, AAP had won seven of these 15 constituencies: Batala, Amritsar North, Amritsar South, Tarn Taran, Patti, Khem Karan and Ajnala. Congress had won six seats: Sujanpur, Gurdaspur, Dina Nagar, Qadian, Fatehgarh Churian and Raja Sansi. The BJP had won Pathankot, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had secured Majitha. Thus, the party-wise tally in these 15 constituencies stood at seven seats for AAP, six for Congress, one for BJP and one for SAD.
In the 19 Doaba constituencies for which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the party has fielded Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Karambir Singh Ghuman from Dasuya, Jasvir Singh Raja Gill from Urmar, Bram Shanker Sharma (Jimpa) from Hoshiarpur, Ishank Kumar Chabbewal from Chabbewal, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar, Santosh Kumari Kataria from Balachaur, Advocate Harsimran Singh from Bholath, Davinder Pal Singh Ranga from Kapurthala, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Phagwara, Harjot Kaur Lohtia from Phillaur, Balvir Singh Pala Jalalpur from Shahkot, Nitin Kohli from Jalandhar Central, Vaneet Dhir from Jalandhar North, Deepak Bali from Jalandhar Cantt, Pawan Kumar Tinu from Adampur, Sarabjot Singh Saabi from Mukerian and Robby Kang from Nawan Shahr.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, AAP had won eight of these 19 constituencies: Nakodar, Kartarpur, Dasuya, Urmar, Hoshiarpur, Garhshankar, Balachaur and Jalandhar Central. Congress had secured nine seats: Chabbewal, Bholath, Kapurthala, Phagwara, Phillaur, Shahkot, Jalandhar North, Jalandhar Cantt and Adampur. The BJP had won Mukerian, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had secured Nawan Shahr. Thus, the party-wise tally in these 19 constituencies stood at nine seats for Congress, eight for AAP, one for BJP and one for BSP.
In the 37 Malwa constituencies for which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the party has fielded Dinesh Chadha from Rupnagar, Kulwant Singh from SAS Nagar, Lakhbir Singh Rai from Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurinder Singh Garry Birring from Amloh, Jagtar Singh Diyalpura from Samrala, Daljit Singh Grewal (Bhola) from Ludhiana East, Kulwant Singh Sidhu from Atam Nagar, Ashok Prashar (Pappi) from Ludhiana Central, Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West, Madan Lal Bagga from Ludhiana North, Manwinder Singh Giaspura from Payal, Manjit Singh Bilaspur from Nihal Singh Wala, Amritpal Singh Sukhanand from Bagha Purana, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga, Devinder Jeet Singh Laddi Dhos from Dharamkot, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy from Jalalabad, Narinderpal Singh Sawna from Fazilka, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Muktsar, Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura, Amolak Singh from Jaitu, Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo, Gurpreet Singh Banawali from Sardulgarh, Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur, Kulwant Singh Pandori from Mehal Kalan, Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra from Amargarh, Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Ajitpal Singh Kohli from Patiala, Dr KNS Kang from Dakha, Saravjit Kaur Manuke from Jagraon, Dr Suhani Doda from Abohar, Amandeep Singh Goldy Musafir from Balluana, Randhir Singh Dhira Khuddian from Lambi, Gopal Singh from Bathinda Rural, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Barnala, Vaninder Kaur Loomba from Shutrana, Jasvir Singh Garhi from Chamkaur Sahib and Parminder Singh Goldy from Kharar.
Among these 37 constituencies, AAP had won 35 seats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. Congress had won Abohar through Sandeep Jakhar, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had secured Dakha through Manpreet Singh Ayali. The party-wise tally therefore stood at 35 seats for AAP, one for Congress and one for SAD.
The region-wise comparison of the 2022 Punjab Assembly election results across the 71 constituencies for which AAP has announced candidates shows that the party had won 50 seats overall. In Malwa, AAP secured 35 of the 37 seats, while Congress and SAD won one seat each. In Doaba, Congress had won nine of the 19 constituencies, followed by AAP with eight, while the BJP and BSP secured one seat each. In Majha, AAP had won seven of the 15 seats, Congress six, while the BJP and SAD won one seat each.
Across all three regions, the party-wise tally stood at 50 seats for AAP, 16 for Congress, two each for the BJP and SAD, and one for the BSP. The figures show AAP's strong 2022 performance in the selected Malwa constituencies, while Congress had won more seats than AAP in the selected Doaba constituencies. Majha recorded a relatively close result between the two parties, with AAP ahead by one seat.
Some of the constituencies now covered by AAP’s announced candidates had witnessed high-profile contests in 2022.
Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal lost Lambi to AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Khuddian. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was defeated in Bhadaur by Labh Singh Ugoke. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal lost Jalalabad to Jagdeep Kamboj, while former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh lost Patiala to AAP’s Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.
These results remain significant because AAP has once again announced candidates for these constituencies, although the political circumstances and electoral equations may change before the 2027 elections.
In the Doaba region, Jalandhar’s four constituencies covered by the announced list offer an interesting comparison with the 2022 results.
AAP had won Jalandhar Central, where Raman Arora defeated Congress candidate Rajinder Beri. However, Congress had won Jalandhar North through Avtar Singh Junior, Jalandhar Cantt through Pargat Singh and Adampur through Sukhwinder Singh Kotli.
For 2027, AAP has announced Nitin Kohli from Jalandhar Central, Vaneet Dhir from Jalandhar North, Deepak Bali from Jalandhar Cantt and Pawan Kumar Tinu from Adampur.
This means that while AAP will seek to retain Jalandhar Central, it will also be looking to make gains in the three constituencies that Congress had won in 2022.
The 71 candidate announcements provide an early picture of AAP’s preparations for the next Assembly election. The historical results show that the party is seeking to defend 50 constituencies it had won in 2022 while also contesting seats where Congress, BJP, SAD and BSP had emerged victorious.
However, the 2022 results should be viewed as a historical benchmark rather than a prediction of the 2027 outcome. Candidate selection, local issues, political alliances and voter preferences will all play an important role in the next election.
With 46 constituencies still awaiting candidate announcements, AAP’s final list will provide a more complete picture of its electoral strategy across Punjab.