AAP Announces First List of Candidates for 2027 Punjab Elections
The candidates were finalised at a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting convened at the residence of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal
Chandigarh: With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates.
The party has fielded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura and Minister Sanjeev Arora, who is currently in jail, from Ludhiana West.
The list also includes several other ministers, including Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar, Kulwant Singh from S A S Nagar and Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur.
The candidates were finalised at a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting convened at the residence of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and other PAC members.
Other candidates named by the party include Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga, Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) from Batala, Inderbir Singh Nijjar from Amritsar South, Harmeet Singh Sandhu from Tarn Taran, Sarvan Singh Dhun from Khem Karan, Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, Karambir Singh Ghuman from Dasuya and Jasvir Singh Raja Gill from Urmar.
Following the announcement, Kejriwal extended his wishes to the candidates in a post on X, saying, "Best wishes to all candidates."
In a separate post on X, Sisodia congratulated all 40 candidates and described their selection as a responsibility to strengthen public trust. He urged them to reach out to every household, listen to people's concerns and work towards advancing Punjab. He also expressed confidence in Bhagwant Mann's leadership, saying, "Bhagwant Mann again, for a prosperous Punjab!"
In the 2022 Assembly elections, the AAP won 92 of the state's 117 seats, while the Congress secured 18 seats.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a district-wise review of poll preparedness for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The ECI delegation comprised Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma, Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu, Director General (IT) Seema Khanna and Director General (Media) Ashish Goyal.
During the meeting, the delegation held detailed interactions with all 23 District Election Officers, Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police. Officials presented comprehensive reports on the status of election preparedness in their respective districts.
The visiting officials emphasised strict compliance with ECI guidelines, transparency in administrative processes, timely execution of pre-poll activities and robust enforcement measures across the state.
Reassuring the delegation, the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab affirmed that all election-related tasks would be completed diligently within the stipulated timelines, in accordance with the Election Commission's instructions, to ensure free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections.