Chandigarh, Nov 13 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday released its second list of 31 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, taking its total declared nominees to 71.
The list signals a major internal reset as the ruling party sharpens its strategy ahead of the polls. Of the 31 seats, 21 are constituencies that AAP had lost in the 2022 Assembly elections.
Party leaders appear determined to reclaim ground in these areas by fielding a mix of new faces, local influencers and proven organisational workers. The emphasis on previously lost seats underlines AAP’s intent to expand its footprint beyond the strongholds it retained in the last election.
In a significant reshuffle, eight sitting MLAs have been denied tickets. The most prominent among them is Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, who has been replaced in Lambi by his nephew Randhir Singh Dhira.
Other sitting legislators dropped include former ministers Laljit Singh Bhullar and Anmol Gagan Mann, along with several other MLAs. Only two sitting MLAs from the constituencies covered in this list — Saravjit Kaur Manuke (Jagraon) and Amandeep Singh Goldy Musafir (Balluana) — have been renominated.
The party has also fielded two sitting Members of Parliament. Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer will contest from Barnala, a seat he had earlier represented as an MLA. Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has been nominated from Phagwara.
Their entry into the Assembly contest reflects AAP’s strategy of bringing experienced parliamentary faces into the state political battle.
The standout announcement is the nomination of renowned wrestler Jaskanwar Singh Gill, popularly known as Jassa Patti, from the Patti constituency. Widely referred to as the “Virat Kohli of wrestling” for his dominance in traditional dangals and titles such as Rustam-e-Hind, Jassa Patti replaces sitting MLA and former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, who is currently in jail and had announced he would not contest.
The move is seen as an attempt to leverage the wrestler’s strong local popularity and rural connect in Tarn Taran district. The list also features several women candidates, including Sonia Mann from Raja Sansi, Vaninder Kaur Loomba from Shutrana and others. Candidates have been distributed across Majha, Doaba and Malwa regions.
With 46 seats still to be announced, the second list indicates that AAP is prioritising performance, local appeal and organisational feedback over automatic renomination of incumbents.
The coming weeks will reveal how the party balances continuity with change as it prepares for a high-stakes electoral battle in Punjab.
–IANS
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