AAP announced this morning that Sanjeev Arora will contest the bypoll to Ludhiana West, which had fallen vacant after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi last month.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s move to field its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora in an assembly bypoll has set off a buzz that party chief Arvind Kejriwal may replace him in the Upper House after his recent poll defeat ended his Delhi assembly membership. The AAP has denied this.
The AAP announced this morning that Mr Arora will contest the by-election to Ludhiana West, which had fallen vacant last month after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi in an accidental firing while cleaning his pistol.
Mr Arora, a businessman, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2022 from Punjab, and his tenure is set to end in 2028. But since a member cannot hold two offices, he must resign from the parliament if he wins the bypoll and wishes to continue as an MLA. In that case, his vacant Rajya Sabha seat may be allotted to Mr Kejriwal.
The AAP has denied any such move so far though it is said to be holding discussions in this regard. Party spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said such reports are “absolutely wrong” and that Mr Kejriwal is not limited to just a seat.
If you are interested, go and read here
Today’s News Headline: A police Constable in B’Luru has been Allegedly Raping A Minor
Arvind Kejriwal is not going to Rajya Sabha. As far as Arvind Kejriwal is concerned, media sources were earlier saying that he will become the Chief Minister of Punjab. Now, media sources are saying that he will contest from Rajya Sabha. Both these sources are absolutely wrong. Arvind Kejriwal is the national convenor of AAP. I agree that his demand is very high, but he is not limited to any one seat,” she said.
Accepting the ticket from Ludhiana West, Mr Arora thanked the AAP leadership in an online post that was devoid of any mention of Mr Kejriwal.
“Humbled and grateful to the leadership Aam Aadmi Party for reposing faith in me to contest the Ludhiana West bye-elections. As someone deeply connected to my hometown, I look forward to serving my people with dedication and sincerity,” said the AAP leader.
Sources suggest that he can also be made a minister in the Bhagwant Mann government if he wins the by-election – as a reward for giving up his seat for the party boss.
Punjab is currently the best bet for Mr Kejriwal after his party lost power in Delhi after a decade. Since vacating the government bungalow after resigning as Chief Minister last year, he has been living in Delhi at another Punjab MP Ashok Mittal’s house.
Unlike Mr Arora, Mr Kejriwal has no membership hurdle in joining the Rajya Sabha since his Delhi assembly membership was snatched by the BJP’s Parvesh Verma in the recent elections. With party leader Atishi becoming Leader of the Opposition, he is also free to focus on the national arena.
Earlier, there were rumours that Mr Kejriwal may take over as the Punjab Chief Minister, but Bhagwant Mann had laughed it off.
Tamil Nadu won’t lose a single seat: Amit Shah rejects Stalin’s delimitation charge
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear in the Lok Sabha that even after delimitation, the seats of none of the states of the south will be decreased,” Shah said, addressing the controversy.
The delimitation exercise, expected next year, involves redrawing parliamentary constituencies based on population levels and could alter the proportion of Lok Sabha MPs from southern states. The issue has become a major flashpoint between the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led central government.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has called for an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the implications of delimitation, warning that Tamil Nadu is at a critical juncture where it must protest to protect its rights. He described the process as a “sword hanging over southern states” and insisted that it would weaken Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament despite the state’s success in population control measures.
“Our representation in Parliament will be reduced…Tamil Nadu’s voice is being stifled. This is a matter of Tamil Nadu’s rights. All political parties should speak across party lines,” Stalin said.
He announced that 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission had been invited to the meeting to deliberate on the issue. Apart from delimitation, the meeting will also address concerns related to the three-language formula and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), both of which have been contentious issues in the state.
“As the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, I bring to everyone’s attention that the Lok Sabha delimitation exercise based on the 2026 Census is extremely dangerous. Southern states like Tamil Nadu have done a great job in controlling population growth. But if that is the reason why our strength in Parliament will decrease, if it can suppress our voice, how can it be justified?” Stalin wrote in a post on X.
He emphasised that Tamil Nadu would not compromise on its parliamentary representation and called for a fair and transparent process that upholds federalist principles. Urging political unity across party lines, he said, “To protect the future of our motherland, Tamil Nadu, let us unite as one, transcending party differences! Let us overcome the surrounding danger with our unity!”
Earlier, BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai had criticised Chief minister for his remarks on delimitation, accusing him of “fear-mongering” and spreading “imaginary fears and stupid arguments”.
In a post on X, Annamalai claimed that except for “a few paint-dabba carrying DMK cadres,” the people of Tamil Nadu had rejected the DMK’s stance on the three-language formula in government schools. He accused Stalin of changing narratives after failing to gain traction on the language issue.
Annamalai also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that any future delimitation exercise would be beneficial for all states, including those in the south.
Meanwhile, former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao also backed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s stance on the delimitation issue, arguing that southern states should not be penalised for successfully implementing family planning measures.
Expressing his support, he stated, “I totally agree with Thiru Stalin and strongly support him on this. You cannot penalise the southern states for religiously implementing family planning when the nation needs it the most.”
KTR further emphasised that any delimitation exercise must consider the fiscal contributions of states, rather than just population figures. “To execute delimitation without considering the efforts of the southern states is not in the spirit of democracy or federalism. If the Centre is keen on implementing delimitation, I propose doing so based on fiscal contributions to the nation,” he said.
One thought on “Today’s News Headline: Arvind Kejriwal To Enter Parliament? AAP Move Sets Off Strong Buzz”