Ludhiana: Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Monday said he takes responsibility for the BJP’s defeat in the Ludhiana West by-election, but maintained that the result should not be seen as a setback for the party.
Bittu, while congratulating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Sanjeev Arora on his victory, expressed hope that Arora would fulfil the promises made to voters.
“Our candidate Jiwan Gupta gave a good fight and secured over 20,000 votes. His ticket was announced late because party leaders were engaged in ‘Operation Sindoor’, which impacted our campaign,” Bittu said.
He admitted that the delay in naming the party candidate was one of the main reasons behind the BJP’s poor performance. “The announcement came too late, which affected our overall campaign strategy,” he added.
The minister pointed out that voter turnout was low, with only 51 per cent polling recorded. “Around 90,000 votes were cast, and the AAP candidate won with just 35,000. This clearly indicates that the anti-AAP sentiment in the constituency is stronger than it appears,” he said.
Describing the BJP’s performance as “encouraging”, Bittu insisted that the outcome should not be viewed as a defeat for the party. “AAP was given a chance because its government still has two years left. In the 2027 Assembly elections, we are confident of winning this seat with a big margin,” he said.
