AAP leaders say early candidate announcement and party work to boost campaign for Ludhiana West byelection.

Ludhiana: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared itself battle-ready for the Ludhiana West assembly byelection, banking on early groundwork, a clean candidate image, and visible development work to retain the assembly seat. It has appointed its men across 192 polling stations and supplied them ammo for a poster war.

Sanjeev Arora, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP and the party's candidate for the byelection, said the announcement of the poll date had brought "clarity and new energy" to his campaign. "This is not just an election — it's an opportunity to shape the future of our constituency with clean, responsive, and development-oriented leadership," he said in a statement issued on Saturday here. Arora, who was named the party's candidate in February, has had a head start over rival candidates, allowing him time to strengthen his campaign. His early nomination is seen by party leaders as a strategic advantage.

AAP's Ludhiana (Urban) district president, Sharanpal Singh, said preparations had been in progress for weeks, with booth in-charges appointed across all 192 polling stations in the constituency. He said the party had launched a door-to-door campaign, compiled voter data, and will soon ramp up visibility with posters and flex boards. "We have fulfilled promises such as free electricity, improved health care, and upgraded public infrastructure," Sharanpal Singh said. "Combined with Arora's clean image and grassroots presence, these will work in our favour."

Another senior AAP functionary, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said rival parties were late in naming their candidates. Congress' Bharat Bhushan Ashu and SAD's Parupkar Ghuman were announced more than a month after Arora, allowing AAP to seize the early momentum.

Arora, 61, has served in the Rajya Sabha since April 2022. A commerce graduate from SCD Govt College in Ludhiana, he also sits on the parliamentary standing and consultative committees on health and family welfare. Outside politics, he is a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist, particularly in cancer care through the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust, which his office says has provided more than 300 patients with free treatment.

The AAP candidate said: "I have spent the last three years listening to people from all walks of life. If elected, I will ensure Ludhiana's voice is heard clearly in the Vidhan Sabha. My doors will always remain open." The byelection was necessitated after the death of AAP legislator Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in Jan. With polling day approaching, the campaign is expected to intensify across the constituency.

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