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Ludhiana West bypoll results to be out on June 23
Out of 1.74 lakh registered voters in this urban constituency of Ludhiana city and its adjoining areas, just around 90,000 exercised their franchise
The votes cast in the crucial Ludhiana West bypoll will be counted on Monday at the Khalsa College for Women, Ghumar Mandi, with the process beginning at 8 am. The counting will take place in 14 rounds, with additional tables set up for postal ballots and ETPBS votes. The seat had fallen vacant after the tragic death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi earlier this year.
Despite a lengthy and high-decibel campaign that began as early as March, well before the official announcement of the bypoll, only 51.33% of voters came out to cast their vote on June 19. Out of 1.74 lakh registered voters in this urban constituency of Ludhiana city and its adjoining areas, just around 90,000 exercised their franchise. This unusually low turnout has raised several questions about public interest and participation in the current political atmosphere.
Analysts believe the extended campaign and the combative tone adopted by various parties may have turned voters away. The intense heat during the voting day may have also contributed to the low voter turnout. But beyond weather and fatigue, some experts argue that urban voters in Ludhiana West may be expressing quiet disillusionment with politics itself.
On Sunday, district election officer Himanshu Jain and general observer Rajeev Kumar inspected the arrangements to ensure the counting process is smooth and transparent. The authorities reviewed the examination hall where counting will be held and expressed satisfaction over the preparations.
The Ludhiana West bypoll has emerged as a significant political contest in Punjab. It is seen as a potential preview of the political currents that will shape the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which currently rules Punjab, is confident of a victory on the back of what it calls pro-people governance and development work, the opposition parties are framing the result as the beginning of a shift in public mood.
AAP has faced both pressure and controversy in this bypoll. The party fielded Rajya Sabha MP and industrialist Sanjeev Arora, a move that drew criticism from the Opposition. They alleged that Arora’s candidacy was a political manoeuvre designed to vacate a Rajya Sabha seat for AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, should Arora win. Kejriwal had campaigned in Ludhiana as early as March but was notably absent during the final days of the campaign, leaving the responsibility to senior leader Manish Sisodia.
The BJP, attempting to grow its base in Punjab after ending its long-time alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is viewing this bypoll as an opportunity to consolidate its recent gains. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP polled the highest number of votes from the Ludhiana West segment. Hoping to build on that momentum, the party fielded Jiwan Gupta, a lesser-known but local figure.
For the Congress, the contest marks a chance at political redemption. Their candidate, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former minister, is looking to return after losing the seat to AAP in 2022. Ashu’s political journey since then has been tumultuous—he spent over a year in jail in a corruption case filed after AAP came to power. The case was later quashed by the high court, and Ashu is now positioning himself as a wronged but resilient leader. AAP, on the other hand, has repeatedly targeted him over his temperament, calling him arrogant and short-tempered.
The SAD, which once dominated Punjab’s political scene, is also in the fray. Their candidate, Parupkar Singh Ghumman, is a practising advocate known for taking up pro bono legal cases for the underprivileged. For SAD, this bypoll is about more than just one seat—it is a test of whether the 100-year-old party still has any significant political future in the state.
While the results will be known only after the completion of all 14 rounds of counting, the implications of this bypoll are far-reaching. If AAP retains the seat, it may bolster the party’s morale after setbacks in Delhi. But a strong performance by the BJP or Congress could significantly shake AAP’s confidence ahead of 2027. Similarly, if SAD manages to put up a fight, it may indicate that the party is slowly finding its voice again.
