Arvind Kejriwal’s Potential Move to Rajya Sabha Sparks Speculation, AAP Denies Rumors Amid Ludhiana West Bypoll Announcement
Speculation grows around Arvind Kejriwal's potential move to the Rajya Sabha after his Delhi Assembly defeat, but AAP dismisses the rumors as baseless.
Arvind Kejriwal Heading to Rajya Sabha? Speculation Around His Political Future Grows After Delhi Assembly Loss, But AAP Dismisses Rumors as Unfounded
Recent political moves have tongues untied regarding Arvind Kejriwal, the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), possibly making a move to the Rajya Sabha. The rumors picked up steam after the party announced its candidate for the upcoming Ludhiana West bypolls in Punjab, putting up Sanjeev Arora, an existing AAP Rajya Sabha MP from the state. This comes on the heels of rumors that Kejriwal, after a disappointing defeat in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, could take a path to the Rajya Sabha. But the AAP has promptly dismissed such rumors as unfounded, referring to them as “rumours” being spread by opposition parties.
AAP’s Announcement: Sanjeev Arora for Ludhiana West
On Wednesday, the AAP declared its candidate for the Ludhiana West bypolls, nominating Sanjeev Arora, a Punjab Rajya Sabha member. This followed general media speculation that Arvind Kejriwal would be moving to the Rajya Sabha. Kejriwal’s political career was recently thwarted when he was unable to retain his seat in Delhi Assembly elections held earlier this month, with AAP’s total seat count declining from a high 60+ to a low 22 in the 2025 elections.
While the dates for the Ludhiana West elections are yet to be announced, the seat had fallen vacant following the untimely death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Gogi in January. The Election Commission is required by law to conduct the bypolls within six months, with the seat needing to be filled by mid-2025.
Sanjeev Arora’s nomination, noteworthy in itself, is also gossiped about by some as being part of a grand AAP plan, perhaps including the next political agenda of Kejriwal. AAP leaders themselves have been quick to dismiss, following this gossip, any talk in the party of a move by Kejriwal to the Rajya Sabha.
Kejriwal’s Defeat and Future Political Options
The recent Delhi Assembly elections were a bitter setback for Kejriwal, who had been the Chief Minister of Delhi between 2015 and 2024. His failure to win a seat in the assembly has generated a lot of speculation regarding his future. With the party experiencing a drastic decline in its Delhi representation, Kejriwal’s choices are narrowing down.
Party regulars have told that Kejriwal could even consider other political positions like the Rajya Sabha. One section of party sources have suggested that the end goal of Kejriwal was to serve the people and the Rajya Sabha seat would allow him to continue his social welfare agenda, although he is not holding an executive position like the Chief Minister’s office.
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But nothing official has been heard about Kejriwal’s political aspirations as of yet. AAP leader Jagtar Singh Sanghera denied the Rajya Sabha rumors, insisting that there had been no such discussion in the party. “The report that Kejriwal will go to the Rajya Sabha is a rumour. Opposition parties are making such rumours. There has not been any such discussion in the party,” said Sanghera.
Opposition’s Rebuttal: BJP and Congress Join In
Opposition parties have not been slow to respond to the speculation of Kejriwal’s potential shift to the Rajya Sabha, despite AAP’s refutations. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to social media, wondering why Kejriwal was allegedly eyeing such a move. He blamed Kejriwal for being driven by a “lust for VVIP facilities” and wanting a higher-profile role, likening it to his earlier promise of residing in a modest 2BHK apartment.
Opposition Leader in the Punjab Congress, Partap Singh Bajwa, also entered the fray. He said Kejriwal’s visit to the Rajya Sabha was a certainty. Bajwa speculated that Kejriwal had first considered fighting the Ludhiana seat to take up the vacant slot left by Gurpreet Gogi but then backed off fearing the people of Punjab would look at him as an outsider. Bajwa opined that Kejriwal’s shift to the Rajya Sabha seems to be the natural progression in his political life.
Why Rajya Sabha and Why Punjab?
For Kejriwal, the Rajya Sabha seems to be the next best option after his defeat in the Delhi Assembly. While Delhi enjoys three Rajya Sabha seats, AAP’s own loss of majority in the Delhi Assembly recently reduces Kejriwal’s dependency on securing a Rajya Sabha seat through Delhi bypolls. Punjab is, however, still an AAP stronghold, enjoying 94 seats out of a total of 117 in the state assembly. Therefore, a Punjab Rajya Sabha seat is much more achievable for Kejriwal.
Apart from that, the timing of the Ludhiana West bypolls can also factor in. In case Arora wins the by-election, there is a likelihood that he might vacate his Rajya Sabha seat, which would leave room for Kejriwal to potentially fill. This would, however, be a lengthy process that would take at least six to eight months from the time of announcement of the election until the reappointment and resignation actually take place, if Arora is victorious and vacates his seat.
Arora’s Role and the Punjab Strategic Move
Sanjeev Arora’s foray into the bypolls is significant not just for the AAP but also for Punjab politics. Arora, a businessman philanthropist, is a well-known figure in Ludhiana and has the trust of the community. He runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust, gaining fame in social welfare activities. His induction is being seen as AAP’s strategic move to consolidate its Hindu voter base in the state ahead of the 2027 assembly polls.
As Arora himself described in a social media post, he was “humbled and grateful” to have had the opportunity to run for the Ludhiana West bypolls, promising to serve the people of his hometown with “dedication and sincerity.”
The Road Ahead for Kejriwal and AAP
For the time being, Arvind Kejriwal’s future is unsure, but it is certain that Punjab and the wider politics will have a great deal to do with where he goes from here. Although AAP has denied any intentions of having Kejriwal take up a seat in the Rajya Sabha, it is not possible to exclude the possibility as the party tries to decide its next moves. Now that the Delhi Assembly polls are done and dusted, Kejriwal’s next move will determine the future of his political career.
Though political rumor mill goes into high gear and the opposition parties continue to feed the gossip, this is certain: the next several months will decide the future of both Kejriwal and the AAP.
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