Political Shift? Talks of Arvind Kejriwal’s Rajya Sabha Nomination from Punjab Gain Momentum

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal may soon begin a new political chapter with growing speculation about his possible entry into the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. However, there has been no official confirmation from either Kejriwal or the party regarding this move. Following AAP’s defeat in the Delhi assembly elections, the party currently holds power only in Punjab. Reports suggest that AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora may shift to state politics by contesting the upcoming assembly by-election from Ludhiana West. In such a scenario, AAP is reportedly considering the idea of sending Kejriwal to the Upper House in place of Arora. Sources also indicate that six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab have offered their seats to Kejriwal though no decision has been made yet.

Speculation over Kejriwal’s potential move to Punjab had also surfaced during a meeting held in Delhi on February 11, where he interacted with Punjab government officials and MLAs. While the MLAs dismissed any claims of internal discord within the party and termed the meeting a strategic discussion, rumors persisted that Kejriwal could play a larger role in Punjab politics. Some reports even suggested he might contest the Ludhiana assembly seat. However, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang dismissed these claims, stating that the meeting was part of routine party strategy discussions.

Since AAP’s defeat in Delhi, there have been increasing claims that Kejriwal may shift focus to Punjab. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who won from Rajouri Garden and later became a minister alleged that Kejriwal could sideline Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann citing unfulfilled promises such as financial aid to women and tackling drug abuse. Kejriwal faced a major setback in the February 8 assembly election results, where AAP lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party and he himself was defeated from the New Delhi seat by BJP’s Pravesh Verma with a margin of over 4,000 votes. In Delhi, where the assembly comprises 70 seats, BJP secured a majority by winning 48 seats and chose Rekha Gupta as the Chief Minister.