LUDHIANA, June 14 — As Ludhiana West braces for a fierce bypoll contest, political parties are tailoring their campaigns around a more formidable rival — the sweltering heat. With daytime temperatures soaring beyond 45°C, leaders from all major parties have shelved mass rallies in favour of smaller ward-level meetings, held either early in the morning or after sunset.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been among the first to adapt. Party convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann held two evening mohalla sabhas to beat the heat and reach local voters. “We started early and completed three rounds of door-to-door outreach. Our focus now is on targeted, small gatherings,” said AAP spokesperson Neel Garg.
The BJP is also pacing its campaign carefully. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini is scheduled to attend indoor afternoon meetings with industry and taxi unions at a Ludhiana hotel on Friday, followed by evening jalsas in Gopal Nagar and nearby areas. Delhi mayor Rekha Gupta is expected to campaign on similar lines when she visits on Saturday.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier this week made multiple brief stops in the constituency, while AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh led an evening road show in support of party candidate Sanjeev Arora.
The Congress, too, has shifted its strategy indoors. Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, MLAs Rana Gurjeet Singh and Pargat Singh, state Congress chief Raja Warring, and national spokesperson Pawan Khera have been holding indoor interactions and small group discussions with voters. AICC general secretary Bhupesh Baghel, who oversees Punjab Congress affairs, is set to arrive on Saturday, though no public event has been announced.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders have echoed the cautious approach. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia are backing party candidate Parupkar Singh Ghumman through low-profile campaign stops, avoiding large public rallies altogether.
With the weather dictating the terms, parties across the spectrum are opting for resilience and reach — over crowd size. As one local organiser put it, “It’s not about who gathers the most people under the sun. It’s about who reaches the most people — without burning out.”
