Parties have fielded prominent candidates for Ludhiana West by-election
CHANDIGARH: The Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, scheduled for June 19, 2025, has drawn attention from across Punjab’s political spectrum, with major parties fielding highprofile candidates. BJP has finally declared its candidate for the fray and nominated Jiwan Gupta, who is said to be close to the RSS.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Gurpreet Gogi (57), who died of a gunshot wound nearly four months ago. The incident occurred while Gogi was having dinner. Upon hearing the gunshot from the room, his wife Sukhchain Kaur and son Vishwas rushed in and found him lying in a pool of blood.
A post-mortem at DMC Hospital revealed that the bullet had entered the right side of his head and exited from the left, causing a fatal injury. He was cremated near KVM School in Ludhiana.
Candidates in fray AAP: Sanjeev Arora
The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora. A 61-year-old industrialist and philanthropist from Ludhiana, Arora is the Chairman and Managing Director of Ritesh Properties and Industries Ltd. He is also known for his charitable initiatives in cancer care through the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust. AAP hopes that Arora’s urban connect and clean image will help retain the seat.
Congress: Bharat Bhushan Ashu
The Congress has nominated former MLA and ex-minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who had earlier represented Ludhiana West but lost to AAP in 2022. Ashu is campaigning aggressively, claiming that most ongoing development projects were initiated during the Congress government. His nomination has received support from senior party leaders like Bhupesh Baghel and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD): Advocate Parupkar Singh Ghumman
SAD has named Advocate Parupkar Singh Ghumman as its candidate. He has accused the AAP government of a large-scale land acquisition scam involving over 24,000 acres of farmland. Ghumman is also questioning the fairness of the election process, alleging fake voter entries and misuse of the model code of conduct.
BJP: Jiwan Gupta The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced Jiwan Gupta as its official candidate. His name was approved by the party’s Central Election Committee and declared in a press release on May 31, 2025. Gupta’s nomination is part of BJP’s strategy to expand its urban base in Punjab.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar): Navneet Kumar Gopi
SAD (Amritsar), led by Simranjit Singh Mann, has fielded Navneet Kumar Gopi. While the party has limited influence in the urban landscape, Gopi’s candidature is part of its continued efforts to assert a political presence in Punjab.
Election schedule Polling date: June 19, 2025
Counting and result: June 23, 2025 This bypoll is being viewed as a key test for all major political parties ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
