The victory has intensified speculation surrounding Kejriwal’s next move.
However, Kejriwal dismissed immediate plans to enter the Rajya Sabha.
NEW DELHI: With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) successfully retaining the Ludhiana West Assembly seat in a tightly contested byelection, the party has not only reinforced its political stronghold in Punjab but also sparked fresh speculation over former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s potential entry into the Rajya Sabha. If Kejriwal opts out, many believe former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is the most likely candidate to be nominated to the Upper House.
The victory—achieved against a formidable challenge from the Congress—is being widely interpreted as a strategic step toward reviving Kejriwal’s national political career amidst ongoing legal and political hurdles.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, who resigned from the Upper House earlier this year, contested and won the byelection by defeating senior Congress leader and two-time MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes. Arora’s return to the Punjab Assembly is seen as a calculated move to vacate a Rajya Sabha seat, potentially paving the way for Kejriwal’s elevation to Parliament’s Upper House.
The victory has intensified speculation surrounding Kejriwal’s next move.
Though he remains the top contender for the vacant seat, Kejriwal dismissed immediate plans to enter the Rajya Sabha, stating at a press conference, “Kejriwal is not going to the Rajya Sabha. The party’s Political Affairs Committee will take a call on this issue.”
Meanwhile, a source within the party told The Sunday Guardian that following Kejriwal’s announcement, if the AAP supremo decides not to enter the Upper House, Sisodia’s name is likely to be put forward. The source added that there are strong chances the party will nominate Sisodia for the Rajya Sabha seat.
Nevertheless, many political analysts believe the entire sequence—from Arora’s resignation to the byelection win—has been a deliberate strategy to create a political route for Kejriwal or Sisodia’s return. This follows a turbulent phase in Kejriwal’s career, marked by his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case, which led to his resignation as Delhi’s Chief Minister in September last year. Atishi, a senior party leader, was appointed in his place.
Earlier, Kejriwal had said he would only return to leadership with a “clean chit from the people.” However, AAP suffered a major blow in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, where it lost power to the BJP after three consecutive terms. In a personal setback, Kejriwal also lost his own Assembly seat to BJP leader Parvesh Verma. Despite this, the Ludhiana West win and AAP’s comfortable majority in the Punjab Assembly provide a strong foundation for nominating a Rajya Sabha member—keeping Kejriwal at the centre of speculation.
According to political observers, securing a Rajya Sabha seat could help Kejriwal or Sisodia remain a relevant national voice while potentially offering parliamentary protection as they face continued legal scrutiny. The move could also help AAP stabilise its leadership, regain political momentum, and expand its reach beyond its traditional strongholds.
“This byelection win is more than a routine electoral victory—it’s a calculated political manoeuvre,” said a senior political analyst.
Though Kejriwal hasn’t confirmed stepping into the Rajya Sabha, the seat is widely seen as being reserved for a key political move. For now, AAP is treating the Ludhiana West win as an endorsement of its governance.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann called the victory a sign of public trust in AAP and Kejriwal’s leadership. As the party’s Political Affairs Committee weighs its next step, all eyes remain on whether Kejriwal will re-enter Parliament and reshape the opposition landscape.