Kejriwal Dismisses Rajya Sabha Rumours After AAP Wins Key Bypolls in Gujarat and Punjab

NDC DESK

New Delhi: June 24, 2025 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made significant gains in the recent assembly by-elections, winning two out of five contested seats -Visavadar in Gujarat and Ludhiana West in Punjab – marking a morale boost for the party following recent setbacks.

Reacting to the victories, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal stated that the results reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), particularly in Gujarat.

These wins show that people are fed up with the BJP’s governance, Kejriwal said at a press conference, where he also dismissed speculation about entering the Rajya Sabha. “I am not going to the Rajya Sabha. The party’s Political Affairs Committee will decide who fills the vacant seat”, he clarified.

The Ludhiana West seat was previously held by AAP’s sitting Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjeev Arora, who contested and won the bypoll, necessitating his resignation from the Upper House.

Addressing the party’s performance in Gujarat, Kejriwal noted that AAP had previously won the Visavadar seat but lost it when the MLA defected to the BJP. “This time, we have won it back with a double margin, despite the BJP’s control over the state machinery”, he said.

Kejriwal also launched a sharp attack on both the Congress and the BJP, alleging a tacit understanding between the two. “Congress is no longer fighting the BJP. I urge Congress workers to join AAP ” we are the only real opposition”, he said, emphasizing that in Gujarat, the contest is now directly between AAP and BJP.

In the Visavadar constituency, AAP’s Gopal Italia emerged victorious. Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF secured the Nilambur seat in Kerala from the ruling LDF, and the BJP retained its hold on the Kadi seat in Gujarat. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress was leading in Kaliganj.

The by-elections in all five constituencies were conducted on June 19.