Despite the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) having the disadvantage of anti-incumbency in Ludhiana, its candidate Sanjeev Arora won the Ludhiana West Legislative Assembly seat on Monday (June 23). Arora won by 10,676 votes after the 14th and final round of counting.Five seats – one each in Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal and two in Gujarat – saw elections being held. In Ludhiana, they were necessitated following the death of the AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, 57, in January after a bullet injury to his head from his licensed pistol.The tally of the AAP MLAs in the state now stands at 94 in the state’s 117-seat legislative assembly.1. Sanjeev Arora’s track record as Rajya Sabha MPArora, a well-known industrialist and the sitting Rajya Sabha MP from the AAP who was elected in 2022, already had a strong public presence in Ludhiana West. He consistently raised local issues in Parliament, including pending National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects and the need for more seats in private medical colleges.He funded various local development projects through his MPLADS funds, focused on schools, colleges, and civic infrastructure. The perception that he frequently interacted with the public boosted his profile.Also Read | ECI By-Election Results 2025 LIVE Updates: Congress registers landslide victory in Kerala’s Nilambur; AAP retains Gujarat’s Visavadar seat2. Early candidate declaration and focused campaigningArora was declared the candidate in February, giving him a significant head start. With ample time to campaign, he built visibility and connected with voters. AAP’s national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced during the campaign that Arora would be made a minister if elected, further attracting voter interest.The campaign focused on positive messaging and followed an issue-based approach, avoiding personal attacks on other leaders that likely resonated with the electorate. However, Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and others continued attacking their political rivals.Story continues below this ad3. Full-scale party push, from Punjab to DelhiThe AAP threw its entire weight behind the campaign – all 93 MLAs, CM Mann, and senior leaders like Manish Sisodia and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi were actively involved. Their massive roadshows and ground-level mobilisation ensured strong visibility for the party across Ludhiana West.While opposition parties alleged that the ruling party misused official machinery and distributed freebies like ration, money, suits, and sarees to woo voters, ultimately, it didn’t impact the results.4. Advantage from recent electoral winsThe AAP entered the bypolls with a clear organisational edge in this seat. In the December 2024 Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections, the AAP won 10 out of 17 wards in Ludhiana West.Also Read | Punjab AAP MLA, known for his guns and vintage cars, dies of bullet injury to head: Who was Gurpreet Gogi?In the 2022 state elections that first brought the AAP to power in the state, it won all six Ludhiana city constituencies. This local-level strength gave the party a reliable cadre of ward councillors and booth-level workers to execute its polling day strategy.Story continues below this adThe slogan “AAP ki sarkar, AAP ka MLA” (Your government, your MLA) drove home the message that stalled development works or other issues in the area would be addressed.This was significant because about one and a half years of the current government’s term remain. Opposition parties portrayed it as a disadvantage, but the ruling party flipped the messaging to assure the works would now be sped up. Moreover, the AAP had already performed well in the recent bypolls. Since 2022, seven bypolls have been held, of which AAP has won five (Jalandhar Lok Sabha and Jalandhar West, Gidderbaha, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak assembly constituencies).The opposition parties have also said that traditionally, the ruling party has always had an advantage in bypolls since 1995, with 23 of the 29 bypolls won by the ruling alliance in the state.5. Sympathetic voter sentiment and the continuity factorThe bypoll was held following Gogi’s death in January 2025. He was popular and well-regarded in the constituency, which resulted in a sympathy factor among voters, many of whom preferred continuity by supporting AAP again. Arora also promised to carry forward Gogi’s legacy.