Assembly bypolls: AAP retains 2 seats in Punjab, Gujarat; Kejriwal takes fresh jibe at Congress, BJP
Arvind Kejriwal celebrates AAP victory in two assembly polls. (PTI)
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday blamed dissatisfaction of public behind Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress defeats in the bypolls.
AAP's Gopal Italia secured victory in Visavadar whilst BJP's Rajendra Chavda claimed the Kadi seat on Monday as the Gujarat constituency bypoll counting concluded. In Punjab's Ludhiana West assembly seat, AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora showed promising leads, maintaining a 7,000-vote advantage over Congress contender Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Regarding Ludhiana West results, Kejriwal noted that Punjab's residents have demonstrated increased support compared to 2022, indicating their satisfaction with the government's performance.
"The people of Gujarat are now fed up with BJP and they are seeing hope in Aam Aadmi Party," he posted on X in Hindi.
Expressing gratitude to Punjab and Gujarat residents, Kejriwal emphasised the electorate's rejection of both BJP and Congress in these bypolls. "Many congratulations to all of you on the splendid victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Visavadar seat of Gujarat and Ludhiana West seat of Punjab. Many congratulations and many thanks to the people of Gujarat and Punjab.
In both the places, the victory margin has been almost double as compared to the last election," Kejriwal posted on X in Hindi.
"Both the parties, Congress and BJP, contested the elections together in both the places. Both of them had the same objective - to defeat AAP. But people rejected both these parties in both the places," he stated in the post.
The AAP headquarters in Delhi witnessed celebratory scenes as party workers distributed laddoos to mark their dual victories.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
31 minutes ago
- Hans India
Gujarat: Visavadar's political realignment from Congress to AAP
Ahmedabad: Visavadar, a seat long held or closely contested by the Congress, delivered a verdict in the 2025 bypoll by electing Aam Aadmi Party's Gopal Italia, a result which encapsulates the crumbling of old allegiances and the emergence of new political aspirations. With 75,942 votes to his name, Italia defeated BJP's Kirit Patel (58,388 votes) by a decisive margin of 17,554. Congress, which once wielded commanding influence in this agrarian belt of Junagadh district, plummeted to a dismal third with a mere 5,501 votes. It is a reversal of political fortunes few would have predicted a decade ago. Visavadar has historically been a 'Congress country'. From the days of Madhavsinh Solanki's dominance in Gujarat politics to the post-liberalisation electoral churn, Congress maintained a strong presence in Saurashtra through its grassroots workers, its caste alliances, particularly with the Patidar and Koli communities and its image as the party of farmers. In the 2017 and 2022 elections, Visavadar was one of the few seats where Congress remained competitive even as its presence diminished elsewhere in Gujarat. The bypoll was triggered by the defection of AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani to the BJP, an act seen by many locals as political betrayal. This left the seat vacant and opened the field for a high-stakes contest. The Congress, weakened by internal strife and a crumbling cadre, fielded a low-key candidate, hoping nostalgia and legacy would carry them through. But the ground had shifted. Instead of flowing back to Congress, the anti-BJP sentiment in the constituency rallied behind Gopal Italia, a leader with credibility, conviction, and connection. Italia's entry into the contest changed the entire dynamic. His political identity, shaped by activism, anti-corruption movements, and his prominent role in the Patidar agitation, gave AAP the kind of leadership Gujarat had been lacking. His appeal extended beyond caste lines, drawing in first-time voters, disenchanted Congress supporters, and farmers fed up with both state and central neglect. For Congress, the defeat is more than electoral; it is existential. The party's vote share in Visavadar has collapsed from nearly 30 per cent in 2022 to under 8 per cent now. This isn't just about one seat. It's about a broader rejection of a party that has failed to offer fresh leadership, build new narratives, or even sustain old ones. The resignation of Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil in the aftermath only highlights the turmoil. AAP, by contrast, ran a meticulously localised campaign. While Delhi's governance model was highlighted, the focus remained on Visavadar's specific issues: dwindling water resources, poor healthcare infrastructure, agricultural distress, and the feeling of political abandonment. Italia's team worked booth-to-booth, speaking in the idiom of the voter, not the Delhi headquarters. The BJP's second-place finish is significant but also telling. Despite their deep pockets and statewide cadre network, they could not capitalise on Congress's collapse. Their bet on Bhayani's defection misfired badly, and the selection of Kirit Patel failed to energise voters. The electorate's message was clear: it will not reward opportunism or take kindly to backroom deals. What Visavadar demonstrates is a changing pulse in Gujarat's rural politics. A constituency once loyal to Congress has not only turned away but has not defaulted to the BJP, a scenario Gujarat has rarely seen in recent years. Instead, it has consciously chosen a third path. For the Aam Aadmi Party, this is more than a symbolic win. It is a confirmation that their brand of issue-driven, personality-backed politics has potential in Gujarat beyond urban fringes. With Gopal Italia now firmly established as the face of this new push, AAP has its first real grassroots icon in the state. It remains to be seen whether they can build on this momentum, but for now, they have what Congress once had in Visavadar, a toehold in the voters' trust. Visavadar's verdict is a turning point. It tells the story of a constituency that once stood with the Congress, turned restless, and now has chosen to invest its faith in a new experiment. Whether that experiment flourishes or flounders will shape not just the future of 'Saurashtra' but potentially of Gujarat's politics itself.
United News of India
33 minutes ago
- United News of India
AAP scores big in bypolls, Kejriwal says people have rejected BJP, Cong
New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) Buoyed by impressive bypoll victories in Punjab and Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the results reflected a growing public disillusionment with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In today's vote count for the June 19 by-elections involving five seats, AAP's Gopal Italia clinched the Visavadar assembly seat in Gujarat, while Sanjeev Arora, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, emerged victorious in Ludhiana West, Punjab, defeating Congress veteran Bharat Bhushan Ashu. The BJP secured the Kadi seat in Gujarat through Rajendra Chavda, while Congress and the Trinamool Congress won one seat each in Kerala (Nilambur assembly seat) and West Bengal (Kaliganj) respectively. Celebrations broke out at the AAP headquarters in Delhi as party workers distributed sweets and raised slogans, hailing the victories as a major boost to the party's national ambitions. Reacting to the results, Kejriwal wrote in Hindi on social media platform X: 'The people of Gujarat are now fed up with the BJP and are seeing hope in the Aam Aadmi Party. In Punjab too, the people have appreciated our work and voted in even larger numbers than in 2022.' Thanking voters in both states, he added, 'Many congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the people of Gujarat and Punjab. The victory margins in both Visavadar and Ludhiana West are nearly double compared to the last election. This is a clear mandate rejecting both Congress and BJP.' Addressing a press conference in the capital post the declaration of results, the AAP National Convener said, 'AAP has won two out of five seats. Congress, BJP, and Trinamool have won one each. I congratulate Sanjeev Arora for Ludhiana West and Gopal Italia for Visavadar. We had earlier won Visavadar in 2022, but after our MLA joined the BJP, this bypoll was necessitated. We've now reclaimed the seat with a stronger mandate.' He added that the results were a sign of public approval for the performance of the AAP-led government in Punjab. Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj called the results 'a big political message.' 'The result is a big political message. The BJP was saying that AAP was finished, but I feel that Arvind Kejriwal has made a big comeback. It has bolstered the faith of the common people in the electoral process." UNI AJ SSP
NDTV
33 minutes ago
- NDTV
Prime Minister's Office Makes Big X Gesture For Congress' Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor 's opinion piece for a prominent English news website received an unexpected boost on social media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's office shared it on X. The article - 'Lessons from Operation Sindoor's global outreach' - published Monday morning by The Hindu. In it Mr Tharoor had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "energy, dynamism and willingness to engage (with other nations)", and called for greater backing for the Prime Minister. The writing accompanying the post was straightforward - "Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister Dr Shashi Tharoor writes - Lessons from Operation Sindoor's global outreach". However, the fact the PMO shared the article has raised eyebrows even as buzz persists of a high-profile (arguably the highest in recent years) switch from the Congress to the BJP. Much of that buzz has been fuelled by criticism from sections of the Congress' Kerala unit; they have criticised Mr Tharoor over what has been seen as positive comments about PM Modi. That stand-off flared up last week too, after the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP was absent from campaigning for his party during the Nilambur Assembly bypoll, which the Congress won. Meanwhile, remarks by Mr Tharoor that have riled the Congress include those made in Panama last month, when he praised the Prime Minister for his response to terror strikes. Mr Tharoor's mention of the Modi government's 2016 surgical strikes, in response to the Uri terror attack, invited a pointed 'CC' moment from the Congress, which reminded its senior leader of similar military ops when the party-led United Progressive Alliance was in power. Panama was one of five countries, the others included the United States and Brazil, to which he led a government delegation after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. In fact, news of Mr Tharoor being appointed to lead that delegation prompted a wave of criticism too, with sections of the Congress calling him a 'super spokesperson' for the BJP's 'publicity stunts'. He was also accused of flattering Prime Minister Modi. All of this also fuelled talk of a blockbuster switch to the BJP but Mr Tharoor has steadfastly denied any such talk. Speaking to NDTV last week he again played down any friction with the party, calling such incidents "differences of opinion... with only some elements of leadership". When NDTV asked him how he would define his relationship with the Congress today, Mr Tharoor pointed out he had been loyal to the party and its ideology for the last 16 years. He also pointed out that despite joining a cross-party delegation formed by the government, he remains a member of an opposition party, and that the focus was very much on representing India to the world, and taking the country's message on terrorism to the global community. Mr Tharoor has held meetings with senior Congress figures recently, including Rahul Gandhi, to discuss his future within the party, although no concrete outcomes have been publicised.
