AAP fields RS MP for Ludhiana West bypolls; ‘vacating seat for Kejriwal?’ asks BJP
BJP asks why a local was not picked for Ludhiana West seat and if RS MP Sanjiv Arora has been promised a ministerial berth for vacating his seat
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s decision to nominate its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjiv Arora as the candidate for the Ludhiana West Assembly bypolls, has set the rumour mill abuzz about party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s possible entry into Parliament, while inviting barbs from the BJP.
The AAP made the announcement to field Arora, a Ludhiana-based industrialist, from the Ludhiana West seat on Wednesday (February 26). Arora has been an AAP MP in Rajya Sabha since 2022. His name for the bypolls was announced after the Ludhiana West seat fell vacant following the demise of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi last month.
Also read: AAP to return to its roots of disruptive politics to take on BJP in Delhi
Why not nominate someone from Punjab? asks BJP
The BJP was quick to speculate that Arora’s name was announced for the bypolls just to vacate his Rajya Sabha seat for Kejriwal. The AAP chief lost his New Delhi seat in the recently-held Assembly polls in the national capital to BJP’s Parvesh Verma.
“AAP has fielded Sanjeev Arora, its Rajya Sabha MP, as a candidate for the Ludhiana West Assembly by-poll. Is this being done to clear the path for Arvind Kejriwal, who just lost his own seat in New Delhi, to get nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab? Wouldn’t it be better if someone from Punjab represented the state instead of Kejriwal?” said BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
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Malviya also wondered if the AAP has promised Arora a ministerial position once he vacates the Rajya Sabha seat.
“This kind of transactional politics must be condemned. The people of Ludhiana must defeat Sanjeev Arora so that he cannot offer his seat to Arvind Kejriwal without losing his own,” he said in the post.
‘Is Kejriwal facing power FOMO?’
BJP’s national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill while posing a similar question wanted to know if Kejriwal was having a “power FOMO (fear of missing out)” after losing elections.
“Kejriwal wants to enter Rajya Sabha? Kejriwal wants Govt accommodation in Delhi? Kejriwal having major power FOMO after losing elections?” he posted on X.
Also read: Mann slams opposition for 'spreading rumours' that Kejriwal wants to be Punjab CM
“Has Sitting AAP Rajya Sabha MP being asked to vacate seat to make 3P “power, perks & privileges” greedy Kejriwal happy ?” he asked.
