BJP keeps voters guessing as assembly bypoll battle heats up in Ludhiana West

Ludhiana: As the Ludhiana West assembly seat heads toward a high-stakes by-election, three of Punjab's major political parties have declared their candidates — but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to hold its cards close to the chest. While Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have already named their contenders, the BJP is still weighing its options, assessing ground sentiment and electoral viability before committing to a face. According to party insiders, over 25 applications have been received from ticket aspirants.

Senior BJP leaders have been holding internal consultations at both district and state levels, gathering feedback from grassroots workers and evaluating the public appeal of top hopefuls. Back-to-back meetings with ticket-seekers and workers have already taken place. BJP's district president, Rajnish Dhiman, said deliberations are ongoing and a decision is expected within the week.



"We have to decide from so many probables, so brainstorming is going on at every level," Dhiman said. "The final decision rests with the senior leadership in Delhi." Among the frontrunners are Rashi Aggarwal, Jiwan Gupta, Hobby Dhaliwal, and Advocate Bikram Sidhu.

Notably, there is growing internal support for fielding a female candidate, with party sources suggesting that such a move could offer a strategic edge, particularly as the BJP eyes the momentum it gained during the recent parliamentary elections. Several aspirants have already hit the ground informally, meeting constituents and raising local issues at religious and community gatherings — a head start designed to ease into campaigning once the official announcement is made. Rivals move fast Meanwhile, rival parties have moved swiftly.

The ruling AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member Sanjiv Arora, the Congress gave ticket to former state minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and the Shiromani Akali Dal fielded advocate Parupkar Singh Ghuman. This West seat went vacant after the sdemise of MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi..