Ludhiana (Punjab): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday addressed a public meeting in Ludhiana, campaigning for BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta ahead of the Ludhiana West by-election scheduled for June 19.
During the rally, Rekha Gupta pitched the BJP’s vision for Punjab, urging voters to choose a leadership that brings “service, good governance and prosperity.”
In a post on X, Gupta wrote, “Now Punjab needs – service, good governance and prosperity.”
She further said that the people of Punjab were hoping for a safer and better future. “The people of Punjab expect a safe, healthy and respectable life. They want better education, strong infrastructure, and complete freedom from the drug mafia,” she wrote.
While appealing to voters, Gupta emphasised the need for strong national leadership in the state. Today, Punjab is also looking towards a new direction, and that direction is the strong leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now is the time for Punjab to also become a decisive partner in the journey towards a developed India,” she added.
Earlier in the days, ahead of Ludhiana West bypolls, BJP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying “those who cheated and looted Delhi are today looting Punjab.”
CM Gupta was campaigning for the BJP candidate, Jiwan Gupta, for the Ludhiana West bye-election scheduled for June 19. AAP has fielded sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora from the seat, which fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. The counting is on June 23.
Gupta stated, “Those who cheated and looted Delhi are today looting Punjab. We will not let this happen. The people of Delhi have sent me to Ludhiana. I have come here to tell the people about all their (AAP) acts, all their stories of corruption.”
Her remarks targeted AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, whom she earlier accused of causing spurious liquor deaths in Punjab and burdening the border state with a “Rs 4 lakh crore debt.”
Speaking to ANI, she also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring Punjab’s security through Operation Sindoor, while slamming the Congress for lacking patriotism.
Gupta said, “These (Congress) people do not love the country, its soil, the Army, or its people. Today, Punjab is safe only because of PM Narendra Modi.”
The by-election in Punjab will be held for the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency. The death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi necessitated it. The voting will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025, with the counting of votes scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025.
Prominent leaders contesting bypolls in Ludhiana West are: Sanjeev Arora from AAP, Bharat Bhushan Ashu from Congress; Parupkar Singh Ghuman from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Jiwan Gupta from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).