In a massive development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially won the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, with its candidate and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora securing a decisive victory by a margin of 10,637 votes. As per the final vote count after 14 rounds:
- Sanjeev Arora (AAP): 35,179
- Bharat Bhushan Ashu (INC): 24,542
- Jiwan Gupta (BJP): 20,323
- Adv. Parupkar Singh Ghuman (SAD): 8,203
According to final figures, Sanjeev Arora garnered 35,179 votes, while his closest rival, Congress’ Bharat Bhushan Ashu, secured 24,542 votes. BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta received 20,323 votes, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Advocate Parupkar Singh Ghuman stood fourth with 8,203 votes.
The result marks a significant urban win for the ruling AAP in Punjab, reaffirming its political footing in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The counting took place at Khalsa College for Women, where postal ballots were counted first, followed by EVM votes.
Celebrations erupted among AAP workers soon after the final round, with dhol beats, dancing, and roadshow preparations underway. The bypoll, held on June 19 following the death of sitting AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, witnessed a voter turnout of 51.33%.
Apart from his political win, Sanjeev Arora also made headlines as Punjab’s richest MLA, having declared assets worth over Rs 301 crore (including his wife’s holdings) in his affidavit to the Election Commission. His wealth includes Rs 268 crore in movable assets, ranging from shares and mutual funds to bank deposits, and ₹10.36 crore in immovable property. Arora’s declared liabilities stand at Rs 19.43 crore.