Chandigarh: Former Punjab minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Patti, Laljit Singh Bhullar, has announced that he will not contest the upcoming Assembly elections.
In a social media post, Bhullar said people from the Patti constituency had been urging the AAP leadership to field him again in the elections. He said he was overwhelmed by their support and expressed gratitude to the people for standing by him.
The AAP recently appointed Jaskawer Singh, popularly known as Jassa Patti, as the party’s constituency in-charge for Patti. The former wrestler’s entry into politics has not been without challenges.
The appointment came after Bhullar’s arrest. He is currently lodged in jail in connection with the death of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, in Amritsar.
Bhullar arrested in Randhawa death case
Randhawa died on March 21, 2026, allegedly after consuming a poisonous substance. Before his death, he had recorded a video message in which he accused Bhullar of harassing and pressuring him over the allocation of tenders for warehouse construction projects.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked Bhullar, who then held the transport and prisons portfolios, to resign to facilitate an impartial investigation. Bhullar submitted his resignation on the same day.
Amritsar Police later registered a case against Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh and his personal assistant Dilbag Singh on the basis of a complaint filed by Randhawa’s wife. The charges included abetment to suicide and criminal intimidation, among other provisions.
Bhullar was arrested from Mandi Gobindgarh on March 23 in connection with the case.
