AAP Announces 40 Candidates, Renominates Sitting MLAs Ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, renominating all 40 sitting party MLAs. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will contest from Dhuri, while Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has been fielded from Kotkapura.
 

Bhagwant Mann's renomination from Dhuri has put an end to speculation that he might shift to another Assembly constituency ahead of the elections.
 

The list also includes Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, who has once again been nominated from Ludhiana West. Four sitting women MLAs have also been retained. They are Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga, Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, Santosh Kataria from Balachaur and Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo.
 

Region-wise, the party has announced candidates for five seats in the Majha region, eight in Doaba and 27 in Malwa.
 

With the announcement, AAP has taken an early lead in declaring its candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections. Bhagwant Mann is among the prominent names in the first list. In the 2022 Assembly elections, he won the Dhuri seat by defeating Congress candidate Dalbir Singh Goldy by a margin of 58,206 votes.
 

The list was approved at a meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee chaired by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.
 

A day before the announcement, the party had held discussions on potential candidates for all 117 Assembly constituencies. Apart from Sanjeev Arora, the names of other Cabinet ministers have not been included in the first list. Arora is currently in jail.
 

The party is expected to announce candidates for several constituencies in its second list. Around 19 newly appointed constituency in-charges are also likely to feature in the next announcement. AAP currently has 94 MLAs in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
 

Selection Based on Public Surveys: Bhagwant Mann
 

After the meeting, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the party had selected candidates on the basis of public surveys. According to him, those who received support from voters in their respective constituencies were given the opportunity to contest.
 

Congratulating the announced candidates, Mann said the party would also introduce new faces in the electoral contest. He added that the early announcement would give candidates sufficient time to connect with people.
 

Taking a swipe at the Congress, the Chief Minister said the party often delays announcing its candidates due to the fear of rebellion within its ranks.
 

Five MLAs to Contest for the Third Time
 

The first list includes five sitting MLAs who will contest Assembly elections for the third time on an AAP ticket. They are Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura, Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo, Kulwant Singh Pandori from Mehal Kalan, Manjit Singh Bilaspur from Nihal Singh Wala and Jai Krishan Rouri from Garhshankar.
 

The remaining 35 sitting MLAs, along with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, will seek election for the second time as AAP candidates.
 

The announcement marks the beginning of AAP's candidate-selection process for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, with further names expected in the next list.