The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially nominated Jiwan Gupta as its candidate for the upcoming Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, scheduled for June 19, 2025. This announcement was made through a press release issued by the BJP's Central Election Committee.
Prior to announcing Jiwan Gupta as its candidate, the BJP intensified its campaign efforts in Ludhiana West through regular meetings with party workers and local mobilisation drives. In a recent event, senior leaders addressed and motivated grassroots members in preparation for what is shaping up to be a four-cornered contest, as reported by The Times of India.
The BJP has been contesting the Ludhiana West Assembly seat since 2012, fielding Rajinder Bhandhari (2012), Kamal Chaitly (2017), and Bikram Sidhu (2022), but is yet to register a win in the constituency.
Know the other candidates in the fray
The Ludhiana West by-election has attracted significant political attention, with major parties fielding prominent candidates
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Rajya Sabha MP and industrialist Sanjeev Arora has been nominated. His candidature was bolstered by a grand roadshow in Ludhiana, attended by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and other senior leaders.
Indian National Congress (INC): Former MLA and state minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu is contesting the seat. Ashu previously held the Ludhiana West seat in 2012 and 2017 but lost to Gogi in 2022. His nomination was supported by senior Congress leaders, including Bhupesh Baghel and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD): Advocate Parupkar Singh Ghuman is representing SAD. Ghuman is focusing on grassroots engagement, aiming to revive the party's presence in the constituency.
Why is the by-election taking place?
The by-election was necessitated by the untimely demise of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January 2025, who died from a gunshot injury. Gogi had secured the Ludhiana West seat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
BJP's Performance in the 2022 Elections
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, the Ludhiana West seat was won by AAP's Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, who secured 40,443 votes (34.46% of the vote share). The Indian National Congress candidate, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, received 32,931 votes (28.06%), while the BJP's candidate, Advocate Bikram Singh Sidhu, garnered 28,107 votes (23.95%).
Election Schedule
According to the Election Commission of India, the schedule for the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election is as follows:
Notification Date: May 26, 2025
Last Date for Filing Nominations: June 2, 2025
Scrutiny of Nominations: June 3, 2025
Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidature: June 5, 2025
Date of Poll: June 19, 2025
Counting of Votes and Declaration of Results: June 23, 2025
