Arvind Kejriwal will now not go to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. Instead, Rajinder Gupta, owner of Trident Group and a businessman, will be the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for the Rajya Sabha.
Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced a new candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab. A Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab had fallen vacant after Sanjeev Arora became an MLA. Initially, there were speculations that the party's national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, would contest for this seat, but he had already clarified that he would not go to the Rajya Sabha.
Now, the Aam Aadmi Party has nominated Rajinder Gupta, owner of Trident Group and a businessman, as its Rajya Sabha candidate from Punjab. Rajinder Gupta was part of the Punjab Planning Board in 2022, but he has now resigned from the board. His name will be put forward for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated from Sanjeev Arora's Ludhiana West constituency.
Arvind Kejriwal had already declined
When discussions were ongoing after the by-election about whom the Aam Aadmi Party would send to the Rajya Sabha, Arvind Kejriwal's name first emerged. Opposition parties claimed that Kejriwal would go to the Rajya Sabha. However, Kejriwal himself made it clear that he would not become a member of the Rajya Sabha. His decision is considered part of the party's strategy and the process of promoting other leaders.
Sanjeev Arora's victory in the by-election
In the Ludhiana West by-election this June, Sanjeev Arora secured a victory with a margin of over 10,000 votes. He defeated Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, while BJP's Jeevan Gupta came in third. In the by-election, Arora received 35,179 votes, Ashu 24,525 votes, and Jeevan Gupta received fewer votes.
After winning the by-election, Sanjeev Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership. He was later made a minister in the Punjab government, where he is currently handling three portfolios.
AAP's Dominance in Punjab
Punjab has a total of seven Rajya Sabha seats. Currently, AAP holds six seats. The MPs holding these seats include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Harbhajan Singh, and Sant Balbir Singh. After Sanjeev Arora's seat became vacant, this seventh seat will now be given to Rajinder Gupta.
Rajinder Gupta is a respected figure in the business world. He was included in the Punjab Planning Board during the AAP government's tenure. After being sent to the Rajya Sabha, his responsibility will be to prominently raise issues concerning Punjab and the country in the Upper House of Parliament. Gupta's entry into the Rajya Sabha will further strengthen AAP's political dominance in Punjab.
