Ludhiana West bypoll sees Congress battling internal rifts as AAP fields Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora.
CHANDIGARH: As the by-election for the Ludhiana West constituency nears, the Congress party is attempting to galvanise its cadre on the plank of unity, while Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who lost the seat in 2022, is seeking to capitalise on the sympathy factor following the sudden demise of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi.
Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel is in Chandigarh on Friday, April 11, to interact with party workers and formulate a state-level strategy for the bypoll. As the electoral fight intensifies, everyone is keenly waiting to see how Congress will overcome internal tensions and opposition from a resurgent AAP.
Following Gogi’s accidental death by gunshot on January 11, 2025, AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha MP and businessman Sanjeev Arora as its candidate. Though there was speculation that the party might offer the ticket to Gogi’s widow, Dr Sukhchain Kaur Bassi, the decision ultimately went to Arora. Dr Bassi, despite being overlooked, continues to attend local events and remains engaged with the constituency.
Meanwhile, Congress’s Ashu, who was previously the MLA before Gogi, sees an opportunity to reconnect with his traditional voter base. He is contesting aggressively to win back the seat, presenting himself as an experienced and mature leader. However, Ashu’s campaign is also tainted by noticeable gaps in support from top party leaders.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has not shared the dais with Ashu during this campaign, fuelling political whispers that Ashu didn’t support Warring in the recent Lok Sabha polls. District Congress president Sanjay Talwar, reportedly close to Warring, has also kept a low profile. Their silence could quietly hurt Congress’s chances in the urban stronghold of Ludhiana.
However, Ashu has gained overt support from former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh, among others, as Congress attempts to show a united face in public.
As the campaign heats up, new fault lines have emerged within the Congress. A face-off has arisen between veteran leaders Partap Singh Bajwa and Rana Gurjeet Singh following the latter’s son, Rana Inder Partap Singh, being showcased as a face during party gatherings. Former MLA Navtej Cheema filed a protest with Bajwa regarding the presence of Inder Partap. Rana Gurjeet Singh disregarded the attack, saying that performance is what counts, while perceptions are nothing. The incident has added another layer of embarrassment to an already factiously fragmented state unit.
2022 Assembly election
=AAP: Gurpreet Bassi Gogi – 40,443 votes (34.46%)
=Congress: Bharat Bhushan Ashu – 32,931 votes (28.06%)
=BJP: Advocate Bikram Singh Sidhu – 28,107 votes (23.95%)
With the bypoll around the corner, both AAP and Congress are upping the ante in outreach. AAP is betting on keeping the seat with Arora’s image and party machinery, while Congress is banking on Ashu’s local connect and legacy—despite being overwhelmed by subdued support from powerful leaders and new internal rivalries.