Chandigarh, 24 November 2024 – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a significant win in Punjab bypolls, claiming three of the four contested Assembly seats. Senior AAP leader Raghav Chadha described the results as a strong endorsement of the Bhagwant Mann government and party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Chadha emphasized the significance of the victory in Chabbewal, Gidderbaha, and Dera Baba Nanak—seats the AAP had never won before. “When the Punjab Assembly elections took place in 2022, there was a wave in our favor, but we still couldn’t win these constituencies. Today, the people have validated the work done by our government over the past two-and-a-half years,” he said in Hindi.
Chadha also highlighted the party’s narrow loss in Barnala, noting the close margin indicated growing support even in traditionally challenging areas. Congratulating the party workers, he added, “The results are very encouraging. The people have given their approval to the Mann government’s efforts.”
Reflecting on broader electoral outcomes, Chadha referred to the mixed results for the INDIA alliance, a coalition of opposition parties. “It’s a case of ‘kahin khushi, kahin gham’ (happiness in one place, sadness in another). In Maharashtra, the alliance faced a setback, with the Eknath Shinde government securing a key victory. However, in Jharkhand, the people rejected vendetta politics and gave a strong mandate to Hemant Soren and the INDIA bloc,” he said.
Chadha expressed optimism about the Jharkhand result, calling it a rejection of negativity and an opportunity to prioritize governance and development. “This victory could mark the weakening of divisive politics and provide momentum to constructive politics,” he remarked.
The Rajya Sabha MP noted that the Maharashtra results would be discussed and analyzed within the INDIA bloc to understand the outcome better.
Chadha’s comments come as AAP celebrates its growing footprint in Punjab, where it had already achieved a historic win in the 2022 Assembly elections, and looks ahead to further consolidating its governance model as a key pillar of its strategy.
