With preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections gaining momentum, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is gearing up to finalise its second list of candidates. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to hold discussions with party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on Thursday, November 12, ahead of a proposed meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
According to party sources, the PAC is expected to discuss the next batch of probable candidates, including sitting MLAs, Cabinet ministers, party functionaries and constituency-level halqa in-charges. The second list could be announced shortly after the leadership reaches a consensus on the names.
AAP Already Announced First List of 40 Candidates
The ruling party had announced its first list of 40 candidates on October 31, giving an early indication of its election strategy for the 2027 Assembly polls.
The list included Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura and Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West. All 40 candidates were sitting legislators who were renominated from their respective constituencies.
The announcement followed a PAC meeting chaired by Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, attended by senior party leaders, including Bhagwant Mann and Manish Sisodia.
Ministers, Sitting MLAs and Halqa In-Charges in Focus
The upcoming list is expected to be significant as the party considers candidates beyond those already announced.
Several senior leaders and ministers who did not figure in the first list are likely to come up for discussion. The candidature of newly appointed halqa in-charges is also expected to be considered, including in constituencies currently represented by sitting AAP legislators.
However, party sources indicate that the selection process will involve discussions on candidate suitability and electoral prospects. With several months remaining before the elections, the leadership could also make changes to its expected choices.
Three MLA Resignations Change AAP's Assembly Strength
The candidate selection exercise comes amid political developments within the ruling party.
Following AAP's first candidate announcement, three sitting MLAs — Chetan Singh Jouramajra from Samana, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra from Sanaur and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh from Amritsar North — resigned from the party and subsequently joined the BJP.
Their resignations were accepted by the Punjab Assembly Speaker, reducing AAP's strength in the 117-member Assembly from 94 to 91. The three constituencies have since become vacant.
AAP had won 92 seats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and its strength subsequently increased to 94.
51 Sitting AAP MLAs Yet to Be Named
With 40 sitting legislators already renominated in the first list, 51 of the party's current 91 MLAs are yet to receive a place in the announced candidate list.
The second round of candidate selection is therefore expected to provide further clarity on the party's plans for the remaining constituencies.
The first list also drew criticism from opposition parties, which questioned the party's decision to announce sitting MLAs early and alleged that the move was intended to prevent possible defections and address concerns over anti-incumbency. These allegations were made by opposition leaders and do not establish the party's actual reasons for the announcement.
As the PAC prepares to discuss the next batch of probable candidates, attention will remain on whether AAP continues with its strategy of retaining sitting legislators or considers new faces for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The second list, once officially announced, is expected to offer a clearer picture of the party's electoral strategy across Punjab.