The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, naming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri and jailed minister Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West.
Arora, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May this year in a money laundering case, is currently in jail. He had won the Ludhiana West bypoll.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has been named as the party’s candidate from Kotkapura.
The list includes four women candidates — Inderjit Kaur Mann from Nakodar, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga, Santosh Kataria from Balachaur and Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo.
Mann, who was flanked by Political Affairs Committee (PAC) member and state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, said he had congratulated the candidates and expressed confidence that they would win. He said the party was planning to field new faces in the next list.
“The reason why we have announced candidates now is to give them enough time to seek mandate from the voters on the basis of the performance of my government in education, health, irrigation, rural development through revival of village ponds and through the benefits given to women and all domestic power consumers,” he said.
The party has not announced new faces from the 40 constituencies. No other minister’s candidature has been announced so far. Sources said the names of ministers would figure in subsequent lists.
The names were announced after a PAC meeting in Delhi on Saturday. Most of the candidates had been finalised at a meeting between Mann, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia on Friday. Punjab AAP president Aman Arora and Harpal Cheema joined the meeting through video conference. The PAC approved the names on Saturday.
The other candidates are Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) from Batala, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala, Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar from Amritsar South, Harmeet Singh Sandhu from Tarn Taran, Sarvan Singh Dhun from Khem Karan, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Karambir Singh Ghuman from Dasuya, Jasvir Singh Raja Gill from Urmar, Bram Shanker Sharma Jimpa from Hoshiarpur, Ishank Kumar Chabbewal from Chabbewal and Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar.
Dinesh Chadha has been named from Ropar, Kulwant Singh from Mohali, Lakhbir Singh Rai from Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurinder Singh Garry Waring from Amloh, Jagtar Singh Diyalpura from Samrala, Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal from Ludhiana East, Kulwant Singh Sidhu from Atam Nagar, Ashok Prashar Pappi from Ludhiana Central, Madan Lal Bagga from Ludhiana North and Manwinder Singh Giaspura from Payal.
The remaining candidates are Manjit Singh Bilaspur from Nihal Singh Wala, Amritpal Singh Sukhanand from Bagha Purana, Devinder Jeet Singh Laddi Dhos from Dharamkot, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy from Jalalabad, Narinderpal Singh Sawna from Fazilka, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Muktsar, Amolak Singh from Jaitu, Gurpreet Singh Banawali from Sardulgarh, Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur, Kulwant Singh Pandori from Mehal Kalan, Jaswant Singh GajjanMajra from Amargarh and Ajitpal Singh Kohli from Patiala.
The Assembly elections in Punjab are due in early 2027, with polling expected around February-March. The five-year term of the 117-member Punjab Assembly ends on March 16, 2027.
