'Transactional politics': BJP slams AAP’s move to secure RS seat for Kejriwal

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party’s decision to field its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora from the Ludhiana West for Assembly by-election was slammed by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, NewsDrum reported that Arora is likely to vacate the Rajya Sabha seat for AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The by-election was triggered by the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi in October 2024, creating a vacancy in the constituency.

BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya raised questions about whether AAP was strategically positioning Arora to clear a path for Kejriwal to enter the Rajya Sabha.

In a post on X, Malviya said, “Is this being done to clear the path for Arvind Kejriwal, who just lost his own seat in New Delhi, to get nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab? Wouldn’t it be better if someone from Punjab represented the state instead of Kejriwal?”

AAP has fielded Sanjeev Arora, its Rajya Sabha MP, as a candidate for the Ludhiana West Assembly by-poll. Is this being done to clear the path for Arvind Kejriwal, who just lost his own seat in New Delhi, to get nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab? Wouldn’t it be better if… https://t.co/TMjUAB6tXm

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 26, 2025

NewsDrum report specifically wrote that Arora had offered to vacate his seat for Kejriwal.

“In turn, he would contest the upcoming by-elections from Ludhiana West. If Arora wins the by-poll, he has been assured of a ministerial berth,” the report said.

Malviya’s post specifically questioned whether AAP’s move was designed to allow Kejriwal to take Arora’s Rajya Sabha seat after the latter wins the Assembly election and vacates his current position.

Malviya also raised concerns about whether AAP has promised Arora a ministerial position as part of this arrangement, labelling it as “transactional politics” and urging the people of Ludhiana to defeat Arora to prevent him from facilitating Kejriwal’s Rajya Sabha entry.