After Punjab and Gujarat bypoll win, Kejriwal responds to Rajya Sabha rumours, asks Congress workers to join AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the Visavadar (Gujarat) and Ludhiana West (Punjab) assembly seats.

Updated on: Jun 23, 2025, 22:59:24 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday put up a splendid show by winning two of the five seats that went to bye-elections. The party won an assembly seat each in Punjab and Gujarat – a shot in the arm for its workers, months after its drubbing at the hands of the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections. Reacting to the impressive victory, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the results showed that the people of Gujarat are fed up with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He also ended speculation on whether he would join the Rajya Sabha after an AAP MP won the assembly bypolls in Punjab.

Former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal during a press conference. (PTI)

"I am not going to the Rajya Sabha. The party's Political Affairs Committee will decide who will go to the Rajya Sabha," he said at a press conference.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the Visavadar (Gujarat) and Ludhiana West (Punjab) assembly seats.

"In the February elections, we won the Visavadar seat, but our MLA left the party and joined the BJP... But today, we have won both the seats (including Ludhiana West) with a double margin. We won Ludhiana West as well, and it shows that people are happy with our work... It is said that it's always the ruling party that wins the by-elections, but in Gujarat it is the BJP which is in power and it has also hold on the administration and machinery; despite that if the people have given us votes and we won by a double margin, it shows that people are fed up with the BJP," he added.

Also read: AAP wins big in bypolls, Arvind Kejriwal says Gujarat turning away from BJP, Congress

Arvind Kejriwal attacked both the Congress and the BJP, claiming they have a cozy relationship with the BJP. "I urge the Congress workers to leave the party, join us; only AAP is fighting against the BJP," he added.

"In Gujarat, there is a direct fight between BJP, AAP. Congress is the BJP's puppet in ensuring their victory," he added.

AAP's sitting MP, Sanjeev Arora, won the Ludhiana West bypolls in Punjab. Arora will have to resign from the Rajya Sabha.

At a press conference, Kejriwal was asked whom the party will nominate in Arora's place.

Opposition parties have claimed that party supremo Kejriwal would enter the Upper House in Arora's place.

Bypoll results

AAP's Gopal Italia won from Gujarat's Visavadar assembly constituency. The Congress-led UDF wrested Nilambur from the ruling LDF in Kerala. The ruling BJP in Gujarat retained the Kadi seat, while the Trinamool Congress was leading in the Kaliganj assembly seat in West Bengal's Nadia district.

The bypolls in the five constituencies were held on June 19.

With inputs from PTI, ANI

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HT News Desk
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