Congress Finalizes Bharat Bhushan Ashu as Candidate for Ludhiana (West) Bypoll
Former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been confirmed as the Congress candidate for the upcoming Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll, expected to be held in the first week of May, according to a senior party leader.
Ashu, who recently met with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, has been given the green light to begin preparations for his campaign. The party, however, is expected to make an official announcement at a later stage, at Ashu’s request.
A key Hindu face for the Congress in Punjab, Ashu had previously represented the Ludhiana (West) constituency but lost to Aam Aadmi Party’s Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in the 2022 Assembly elections by a margin of 7,500 votes. The bypoll has been necessitated following Gogi’s death in January this year.
Congress sources revealed that Ashu’s candidature was discussed during a recent meeting of the party’s political affairs committee, chaired by AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Raja Warring claimed that an internal survey conducted by the ruling AAP showed it trailing in the constituency. “AAP has slipped to third place in terms of popularity here,” Warring asserted. He also suggested that AAP’s early and aggressive campaigning in Ludhiana was a sign of nervousness following its recent electoral setbacks in Delhi.
“After the Delhi defeat, people have started questioning the so-called Punjab model,” Warring said, referring to the rally held earlier this month by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Ludhiana. AAP has nominated its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the seat.
The bypoll holds significant importance for the Congress, which is looking to reclaim one of its traditional strongholds and regain momentum in the state.
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