Politics

AAP Releases Second Batch of 31 Punjab Assembly Candidates

By HT News Desk

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced a second list of 31 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, bringing the total number of declared candidates to 71. The list was issued by AAP national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta after the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) reviewed feedback from surveys on ticket distribution.

The new candidates include Rohit Syal for Pathankot, Raman Bahl for Gurdaspur, Karamjit Singh Rintu for Amritsar North, Nitin Kohli for Jalandhar Central, Vaneet Dhir for Jalandhar North, Deepak Bali for Jalandhar Cantt, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer for Barnala, and Gopal Singh for Bathinda Rural. Other nominees are Advocate Harsimran Singh for Bholath, Davinder Pal Singh Ranga for Kapurthala, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal for Phagwara, Pawan Kumar Tinu for Adampur, and Balvir Singh Pala Jalalpur for Shahkot.

AAP’s first list, released on October 31, had 40 candidates, including 40 sitting MLAs such as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri. The party has already announced more than half of the candidates for the 117‑seat assembly, which currently holds 95 seats for AAP.

The PAC meeting focused on ticket allocation, with the party noting that survey feedback was discussed throughout the day. AAP’s early candidate announcements mirror its strategy in the 2017 elections, when it also declared candidates well before the polls.

The Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled for 2027, giving candidates several months to prepare for their constituencies.