Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday led a roadshow in Ludhiana to express gratitude to voters for showing their trust in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the recently concluded Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll.
AAP retained the seat with its candidate Sanjeev Arora defeating Congress’ Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes. Arora secured 35,179 votes, while Ashu got 24,542. BJP’s Jiwan Gupta came in third with 20,323 votes, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman garnered 8,203 votes, losing his security deposit.
The by-election, held on June 19, was followed by the passing of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. Results were declared on Monday.
Senior AAP leaders, including Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and state unit chief Aman Arora, took part in the victory procession along with party workers and supporters.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Ludhiana West for their overwhelming support, Mann said, “The people have shown their trust in AAP by electing Sanjeev Arora with a larger margin than before. In a democracy, the people are the true rulers.”
Taking a dig at opposition parties, Mann said, “Those who claimed they could achieve anything, realised by 2 pm yesterday that their overconfidence was misplaced.”
“Congress, a party formed in 1885, and Akali Dal, formed in 1920, have been reduced to irrelevance. Akali Dal’s candidate forfeited his deposit with just 8,000 votes, reflecting the people’s rejection of their arrogance,” said Mann.
Congratulating the people of Ludhiana West, Arora, and party workers, AAP Punjab in-charge Sisodia said “Yesterday’s victory was a moment of pride for AAP and a testament to the faith people have in honest politics. Ludhiana West didn’t just elect Arora but also reaffirmed the commitment to Kejriwal’s vision of transparent governance, free from the arrogance and hooliganism of traditional politics. This win is a victory for the mission to bring integrity back into politics.”
Thanking the people and AAP workers, Arora, who won the bypoll, said “This victory belongs to you, the people of Ludhiana West. I thank AAP for their trust and support, and my Ludhiana family for their love and confidence. In the last 100 days, I have focused on respecting and listening to the people.”
“Moving forward, every citizen’s concerns will be addressed with the utmost dedication. If this were a semifinal, we are ready to make the final a superhit success,” he said.
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