AAP Releases First List of 40 Candidates for Punjab Elections 2027; CM Bhagwant Mann to Contest from Dhuri

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially kickstarted its campaign for the upcoming 2027 Punjab Assembly Elections by releasing its first list of 40 candidates. Relying heavily on its sitting MLAs, the party has distributed tickets to key leaders, while making a few surprising inclusions and omissions that have sparked political discussions across the state.

CM Mann to Defend Dhuri Seat Putting an end to speculations about a change in constituency, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will once again contest from the Dhuri assembly seat. In the 2022 elections, Mann secured a massive victory from Dhuri, defeating Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy by a margin of 58,206 votes.

Alongside the Chief Minister, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan will contest from Kotkapura, and Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri has been fielded from Garhshankar.

Ticket for Jailed Former Minister Sanjeev Arora One of the most talked-about decisions in the first list is the allocation of the Ludhiana West ticket to former minister Sanjeev Arora, who is currently lodged in Gurugram's Bhondsi Jail.

Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2026 in connection with an alleged ₹100-crore money laundering case involving fake GST bills for iPhone exports. While the ED alleges that dummy companies were used to claim fraudulent input tax credits, Arora and AAP have strongly denied the charges, labeling the arrest a "political vendetta" and misuse of central agencies.

Notable Omission: Harpal Cheema Missing from First List In a significant development, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema’s name is absent from the first list of 40 candidates. Sources suggest his ticket has been put on hold following the controversy surrounding the Gulzar suicide case in Sangrur's Toorbanjara, which raised questions against him.

No Halqa In-charges in the First Phase Despite appointing 19 new Halqa In-charges (Constituency In-charges) recently—seven of which were on seats currently held by AAP MLAs—the party has chosen not to field any of them in this first list, opting instead to trust the sitting legislators.

Speaking on his candidature, Speaker Kultar Sandhwan stated, "Our work speaks for itself, and there is no competition. The opposition is merely spreading false propaganda against us."

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