AAP announces first 40 candidates for Punjab assembly polls, keeps Mann at Dhuri

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will contest the 2027 assembly elections from his home seat of Dhuri. The Aam Aadmi Party released its first list of 40 candidates on Saturday following a meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee in Delhi.

Candidate Selections

National Secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta announced the list, which renominates all sitting MLAs included in it. Cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora has been renominated from Ludhiana West despite being in jail in connection with an Enforcement Directorate money laundering case. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan will contest again from Kotkapura. The list features four women candidates, including state women's wing head Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora, alongside seven Scheduled Caste candidates and four former ministers.

Notable Omissions

Several senior figures are missing from this initial list, including Punjab party president Aman Arora and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Working president Amansher Singh has been nominated to contest from Batala instead. The ruling party holds 94 seats in the 117-member assembly and based this initial selection on performance reviews and public surveys.

Context

Political parties typically release candidate lists in phases well ahead of state polls to allow nominees time to campaign and manage internal friction. The Aam Aadmi Party currently holds a strong majority in the Punjab legislative assembly, giving it significant leverage as it prepares for the upcoming electoral battle.