Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been embroiled in a political storm after Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan suggested that party chief Arvind Kejriwal could become a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab. His remarks created a stir in political circles, though the party’s official spokesperson later denied any such move.
Though AAP spokesperson Neel Garg dismissed rumours about the possibility of Kejriwal or former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia getting the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by AAP MP Sanjeev Arora, Sandhwan’s statement has created curiosity among people. “Any party can choose anyone from anywhere to the Rajya Sabha. It is their prerogative. What is wrong in it? Even Manmohan Singh came to the Rajya Sabha from another state.”
“The decision will be taken by the party and I will accept whichever candidate they field,” Sandhwan said. The speculation has gained momentum after AAP fielded Sanjeev Arora as its candidate in the Ludhiana West bypoll. This has raised questions over his Rajya Sabha seat.
However, Garg termed these allegations as “rumours spread by opposition political parties”. He condemned the BJP for spreading false rumours. “The BJP’s rumour factories are running rampant. The notification for the Ludhiana West election has not even been issued yet. Arora has been made the candidate by the party because he is a leader who has attracted people in Ludhiana. He has not tendered his resignation as the party’s Rajya Sabha member and is free to contest the by-election without resigning,” Garg clarified.
The Ludhiana (West) assembly seat fell vacant after AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi Bassi died of gunshot wounds last month. The Election Commission of India has not yet made any announcement on the by-election schedule.
Along with this, Arora’s political career has not been smooth either. In October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided his Ludhiana residence during an investigation into a money laundering case, which was linked to a land ‘fraud’ case. The investigation pertained to a piece of land distributed to Arora-owned firm Ritesh Properties and Industries Ltd for developing an industrial project. The land was later allegedly converted into a residential project.
Despite the controversies, Arora is still a prominent figure in the Punjab branch of the AAP. In response to his nomination for the bypoll, he posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I am grateful to the Aam Aadmi Party leadership for reposing faith in me to contest the Ludhiana West bypoll. Being deeply attached to my hometown, I look forward to serving my people with devotion and sincerity.”
Kejriwal’s political future
Kejriwal, who recently lost the New Delhi assembly seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes, has been politically battered after AAP’s electoral defeat. Party sources say all six AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab have offered to resign from their seats for him, but the former Delhi chief minister has so far declined these offers.
Currently, the AAP has seven Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab – Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, educationist Ashok Mittal, environmentalist and religious leader Balbir Singh Seechewal, entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sawhney and Sanjeev Arora.
In the wake of the Punjab bypolls and amid political fervour, the AAP’s Rajya Sabha strategy remains a matter of speculation. Whether Kejriwal reaches the Upper House or not, the development marks a significant shift in the political dynamics of the AAP in Punjab and elsewhere.
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