New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) The AAP on Monday celebrated what it called a “historic win” in bypolls, as the party clinched victories in Gujarat’s Visavadar seat and Punjab’s Ludhiana (West) Assembly seat. Party leaders hailed the results as a resounding endorsement of the AAP’s governance and a clear sign of growing national momentum.

Speaking to IANS, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said, “It’s a big win. Farmers and the public have delivered a powerful message, especially in Gujarat where BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ tried to buy leaders and break parties. But the people have spoken for change. This victory is historic. I congratulate everyone involved. Similarly, in Punjab, the win shows the public stands firmly with our government.”

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj praised AAP’s Ludhiana (West) candidate, saying, “Sanjeev Arora is a strong local leader who has been working on the ground. He was rightly given this opportunity, and the people responded.”

Laljit Singh Bhullar, another key AAP voice, highlighted the broader electoral trend: “Out of five bye-elections across the country, AAP contested three and won two. This clearly signals that the future belongs to Arvind Kejriwal. People have resolved that he will be the Prime Minister in 2029. The Ludhiana West win is the semi-final — AAP will win the finals in 2027. Despite a 13 per cent drop in voter turnout, our vote share has increased. The common man is standing solidly with us.”

AAP’s Balbir Singh also reacted and said, “From Punjab to Gujarat, our candidates have emerged victorious. People are voting for our performance. While we thank our hardworking party workers, we also promise the people that we will now work at four times the speed of a rocket.”

In Gujarat’s Visavadar Assembly bye-election, AAP leader Gopal Italia defeated the BJP’s Kirit Patel by a margin of over 17,000 votes. The seat fell vacant after the resignation of sitting MLA Bhupat Bhayani, setting the stage for a triangular battle among the BJP, Congress, and AAP. Italia, a prominent face of the AAP in Gujarat and former state president, maintained a strong lead from the early rounds of counting.

In Ludhiana (West), the AAP retained the seat despite a lower voter turnout of 51.33 per cent, compared to 64 per cent in the 2022 Assembly elections. AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, who was leading from the first round, defeated his closest rival and two-time legislator Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress by a margin of 10,637 votes.

BJP’s greenhorn Jiwan Gupta finished third. Arora, who started his campaign in March, polled 35,179 votes, while Congress leader Ashu got 24,542 votes and the BJP’s Gupta 20,323 votes.

Meanwhile, rival parties including the Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had campaigned aggressively with slogans of “badlaav (change)” in preparation for the 2027 Assembly elections.

–IANS

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