Arvind Kejriwal News / Sanjeev Arora will contest the by-election - suspense over Kejriwal going to Rajya Sabha

Arvind Kejriwal News: Playing a big political gamble in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the by-election on the Ludhiana West assembly seat. This decision has heated up the discussions in the political corridors. Especially when it was being speculated that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal could go to Rajya Sabha. However, the party has completely rejected these speculations.

Why is Sanjeev Arora's candidature important?

Sanjeev Arora became a Rajya Sabha MP in the year 2022 and his term was to continue till 2028. Despite this, AAP declared him as its candidate for the assembly by-election. After the death of Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi Bassi in January, a by-election was to be held on this seat. His wife was also staking claim to this seat, but the party decided to give a chance to Sanjeev Arora.

The Election Commission has not yet announced the date of the by-election, but AAP has already announced its candidate. Interestingly, no other political party has announced its candidate yet, due to which political analysts are speculating about this strategy of AAP.

Speculations of Kejriwal going to Rajya Sabha are baseless

Before the announcement of Sanjeev Arora's candidature, there was speculation that Arvind Kejriwal could go to Rajya Sabha. But the party has termed these speculations as false. AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar clarified that Arvind Kejriwal is neither going to Rajya Sabha nor does he have any such plans. She said, "Earlier media reports were saying that Kejriwal will become the Chief Minister of Punjab, now they are saying that he will go to Rajya Sabha. Both these claims are wrong. Arvind Kejriwal is not limited to any one post or seat."

Who is Sanjeev Arora?

Sanjeev Arora is a successful industrialist, whose primary business is related to the export industry. He has been running Ritesh Industries Limited for the last three decades, which does export work in America and has an office in Virginia. Apart from this, he developed Hampton Business Park and Hampton Homes on Chandigarh Road, a major hub for 70 industries.

In 2018, he launched Femella Fashion Limited Company, known for women's clothing brand 'Femella'. In 2019, he entered the metal industry and partnered with Suzuki Motors under the 'Make in India' scheme.

Political signals and strategy

• This move of AAP is being seen as an important strategy in Punjab politics.
• Local vs outside influence: Fielding a Rajya Sabha MP instead of a local leader on the Ludhiana West assembly seat is a big decision, which points to the future plans of the party.
• Pressure on the opposition: So far Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal have not announced their candidates, giving AAP an edge for the election campaign.
• Sanjiv Arora's business stature: Being an industrialist, the party can get potential funding and support from the business community.

Conclusion

Aam Aadmi Party has made a big political move by giving ticket to Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West. This decision is not only an attempt to strengthen the party but also to surprise the opposition. Now it will be interesting to see how other political parties react to this and whether this decision will prove beneficial for AAP or not.