DW BUREAU / Ludhiana

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday led a roadshow here to thank voters for AAP's victory in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll and said people have shown their trust in his party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) retained the Ludhiana West seat with its candidate Sanjeev Arora registering a victory against his nearest rival and Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes. Arora secured 35,179 votes while Ashu got 24,542 votes. BJP's Jiwan Gupta polled 20,323 votes while Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Parupkar Singh Ghuman received 8,203 votes. Ghuman lost his security deposit.

The bypoll -- held on June 19 -- was necessitated following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. The result was announced on Monday.

AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and state unit chief Aman Arora, along with other leaders, took part in the roadshow.

In his address, Mann expressed gratitude to the people of Ludhiana West for their overwhelming support.

"The people have shown their trust in AAP by electing Sanjeev Arora with a larger margin than before. In a democracy, the people are the true rulers," he said. Taking a swipe at opposition parties, Mann said, "Those who claimed they could achieve anything, realised by 2 pm yesterday that their overconfidence was misplaced.

"Congress, a party formed in 1885, and Akali Dal, formed in 1920, have been reduced to irrelevance. Akali Dal's candidate forfeited his deposit with just 8,000 votes, reflecting the people's rejection of their arrogance," said Mann.

Mann attributed the victory to the hard work of party workers.

"This victory is not ours alone; it is due to the efforts of every party worker who went door-to-door to connect with the people. The public recognises sincerity and hard work. We don't aim to make Punjab another California or London; our goal is to revive Punjab's glory and make it 'Rangla' (glorious) Punjab again," said Mann.

AAP Punjab in-charge Sisodia congratulated the people of Ludhiana West, Arora, and party workers.

"Yesterday's victory was a moment of pride for AAP and a testament to the faith people have in honest politics. Ludhiana West didn't just elect Arora but also reaffirmed the commitment to Kejriwal's vision of transparent governance, free from the arrogance and hooliganism of traditional politics. This win is a victory for the mission to bring integrity back into politics," he said.

Sisodia said, "In 2022, an AAP wave swept Punjab. Yesterday's victory came like a storm, and we are now preparing for a rocket-speed transformation in Punjab by 2027. "Our mission to eradicate drugs, provide quality education, and uplift farmers will continue unabated. We will work tirelessly to make Punjab drug-free and deliver exemplary governance to every village and every child," he said.

Arora, who won the bypoll, expressed gratitude to the people and AAP workers for their unwavering support.

"This victory belongs to you, the people of Ludhiana West.

I thank AAP for their trust and support, and my Ludhiana family for their love and confidence. In the last 100 days, I have focused on respecting and listening to the people.

"Moving forward, every citizen's concerns will be addressed with the utmost dedication. If this were a semifinal, we are ready to make the final a superhit success," he said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)