Victory in Gujarat & Punjab sends clear message—trust in AAP is rising in Punjab, and winds of change are blowing in Gujarat: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: In a resounding show of strength following sweeping victories in the Punjab and Gujarat by-elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday held a celebratory event in Delhi where National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal declared that the message from the people was loud and clear—“Only AAP offers real hope for the nation.”

Thanking the voters of Gujarat and Punjab,

the AAP Chief asserted that the wins signaled two distinct political currents: deepening public trust in AAP’s governance in Punjab, and a strong, undeniable wave of change rising in Gujarat.

“The people of Gujarat have embraced the politics of transformation. This victory is not just electoral—it is a triumph of trust and aspiration,” he said. The event was attended by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia, Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai, and all key figures from AAP’s Gujarat and Punjab campaigns, marking a significant moment for the AAP's positioning as the national alternative.

Congratulating the newly elected MLAs, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, "Our two heroes today are Sanjeev Arora and Gopal Italia, along with all the Aam Aadmi Party leadership. I am confident that Sanjeev Arora will stand shoulder to shoulder with Bhagwant Mann in the Punjab Assembly and work relentlessly to advance the state’s progress. At the same time, Gopal Italia will go to the Assembly and become a real headache for the BJP."

Thanking the people for their trust, Arvind Kejriwal continued, "I want to express my gratitude to the people of Gujarat and Punjab who have shown immense faith in the Aam Aadmi Party. I also want to congratulate them for making the right choice.”

He asserted that in today’s political environment, the AAP has drawn a bold new line — a line of clean and honest politics. Our party has entered the political arena with the sole intention of bringing honesty and integrity back into public life. The victory of these two candidates is living proof of that mission. There’s a saying — ‘The proof of the pudding lies in its eating.’ Just look at the background of Sanjeev Arora and Gopal Italia; both have spotless reputations, they have dedicated themselves to public service, and they have done a lot of work for society. It is only the Aam Aadmi Party that can give tickets to such clean, committed individuals and bring them to the Assembly. No other party has the courage or intention to do so."

Highlighting how AAP has broken old political myths, Arvind Kejriwal said, "There was a time when people used to say that good, honest individuals should stay away from politics — that politics is not meant for decent people. The Aam Aadmi Party has shattered that notion. Good people should enter politics, but they must also work hard. If you work hard, the people will stand with you. But if you enter politics thinking everything will become easy, that people will automatically support you, that won’t happen. Both these candidates worked hard. The Aam Aadmi Party worked hard. Gopal Italia worked hard. Sanjeev Arora worked hard. That is why the public gave them such overwhelming support.”

“The support we have received is extraordinary and proves that the people of this country want clean, honest politics. The people want an end to the culture of goondas, criminals, and hooligans who have infested political parties. They want individuals with integrity, a clean reputation, and a commitment to public service to enter politics,” he asserted.

Pointing to the scale of the victory, the AAP Chief added, "The margin of victory is remarkable. Normally, it is said that after three years in power, anti-incumbency starts to set in. But looking at Sanjeev Arora's victory margin, forget anti-incumbency, this looks like pro-incumbency. The support for our government is growing. In the last election in this constituency, there were only 1,15,000 votes cast. This time, there were 85,000 votes, and Sanjeev Arora won by 10,637 votes. In comparison, last time the victory margin was approximately 7,500 votes. That means the people are giving even greater support than before. They are applauding our work, encouraging us, and saying — you are doing excellent work, keep moving forward."

Praising AAP's Punjab government, Arvind Kejriwal said, "I want to congratulate Bhagwant Mann and the entire Aam Aadmi Party government for the way they have been working in Punjab. Looking at the current atmosphere, it feels like last time we won 92 seats, and this time, we should easily cross 100 seats, and that too with even bigger margins."

Pointing to the fight against drugs in Punjab, the AAP Supremo stated, "Another remarkable thing is the war our government has declared against drugs. The blessings we are receiving from families in every village, from parents whose children were drowning in addiction but are now coming out of it, are what truly inspire us to keep working harder. It’s not like Punjab is the only state facing this menace. Drugs are being sold in pompous quantities in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Goa — you go anywhere across the country, and you will find this problem.”

He emphasised, “But the crackdown that is happening in Punjab right now is unprecedented. Major drug smugglers are being caught. Bulldozers are being run over the properties of the big fish. And no matter how influential a person is, the message is clear — they will not be spared."

Directly targeting those responsible for Punjab’s drug crisis, Arvind Kejriwal said, "The people who dragged Punjab into this drug mess, those who were the first to bring drugs into the state, were ministers from other parties. Back when they were in power, these ministers used government vehicles to transport drugs across Punjab. They even sheltered international smugglers in their own homes while serving as government ministers."

Calling it a victory for honest politics, the AAP Supremo emphasised, "Today, Punjab has a pro-people and honest Aam Aadmi Party government. No matter how influential or powerful someone is, they will not be spared. That is the message we have given in Punjab, and people are liking it. The massive victory from Ludhiana West shows that the people have embraced this message. Even in Gujarat, look at the margin with which AAP has won. Last time, we won this seat with a very small margin, but this time, the people have given us a resounding victory, almost two to three times larger than before. This shows how frustrated the people of Gujarat have become with the BJP's rule."

Sharing his recent experience from Gujarat, Arvind Kejriwal added, "Recently when I visited Gujarat during the election campaign, a minister from the Gujarat government — a BJP minister — met me and said, 'Sir, the people of Gujarat are completely fed up with the BJP’s 30 years of rule. They desperately want to defeat them, but BJP’s control over the system and administration is so deep that I don’t know if it’s possible or not.' I told him — this is democracy, and when the people rise, even the tallest thrones start to shake. This victory in Gujarat is a clear signal of what lies ahead in the 2027 elections."

Pointing to the changing political landscape in Gujarat, he further added that for 30 years, the people of Gujarat had no real alternative, but today, Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as a strong option. The people of Gujarat see hope and possibility in AAP. Congress was never an alternative. Congress is in BJP's pocket, their top leadership is completely compromised.”

Providing an example, the AAP Chief stated, “In the last election, Congress won 17 seats, and out of those, 5 MLAs switched to BJP. AAP won 5 seats, and one MLA switched to BJP. We had discussions with Congress — they had five seats, we had one. Congress asked us not to contest their five seats, and in return, they wouldn’t contest ours. We agreed. By-elections were held for those five seats last year, and AAP did not field candidates. But this time, when the by-election was held on the one seat belonging to AAP, BJP issued orders, and Congress could not refuse. Congress betrayed us and fielded a candidate against us."

Exposing the nexus between Congress and BJP, Arvind Kejriwal said, "Last year, we stayed true to our word and didn’t contest on their five seats, but this time, they deliberately fielded a candidate against us to defeat AAP. This clearly shows that there is no hope left in Congress. Congress and BJP are one and the same, their topmost leadership is completely hand-in-glove, and I say this with full responsibility and solid proof. Congress’s top leaders are sitting in BJP’s lap. Meanwhile, grassroots Congress workers, the ones walking the streets, feel utterly betrayed. They hear big promises from their leaders, but then those same leaders are seen shaking hands with BJP behind closed doors."

Attacking the deep-rooted system of corruption, he added, "Ultimately, this is democracy — the people are supreme. We gave up contesting all five seats, and still Congress lost them. But despite Congress fighting against us, we won our seat. This shows that slowly, the people are recognising both these parties for what they truly are. Congress and BJP fight together when needed because they are both part of the same rotten system. AAP isn’t just fighting BJP or Congress — we are fighting an entire corrupt system. Their system runs on a simple formula — use power to make money, use money to stay in power, distribute liquor, cash, sarees, utensils, win elections, and then loot the people to fund the next election.”

“It’s power for money, money for power — that’s the cycle they’ve created. There’s no real difference between the two parties. Just look at Gujarat — over the past seven to eight years, seventy senior Congress leaders have switched sides to the BJP. What remains? Congress has effectively become BJP. They are one and the same,” further added the AAP Chief.

Reaffirming AAP’s commitment to the people, Arvind Kejriwal asserted, "Only the Aam Aadmi Party is genuinely fighting for the country, for Gujarat, for Punjab, for India — and most importantly, against this corrupt system. The other parties are deeply entrenched in that system. I thank the people for placing their trust in the Aam Aadmi Party. I congratulate all our karyakartas for this incredible victory. I am confident that these recent elections in Gujarat and Punjab are the semi-finals. In the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, AAP will win more than 100 seats, and in Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party will form the government."

Arvind Kejriwal gave birth to the politics of work: Bhagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that when all parties, all money and the entire system come together, achieving victory becomes a huge challenge — but the Aam Aadmi Party has done it. “AAP’s people come from ordinary households. We never imagined that we would reach positions like Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Minister or Chief Minister. People living in Sector 2 or 4 of Chandigarh don’t allow common people near them, but AAP has brought the common man to such high offices,” he said.

The Punjab CM added that in other parties, even the post of district president is confined to their sons, brothers-in-law or nephews, but AAP has broken that perception and offered a new direction. AAP has changed people’s perception of politics, which was earlier seen as a game of money and muscle. “There are more bad people in politics because good people stay away from it,” he said.

Bhagwant Mann said Kapoorthala House was once the palace of the King of Kapoorthala. He also mentioned Faridkot House, Patiala House and Nabha House, all of which were royal residences. “Today, we are here because of the people, the Constitution and progressive thinking. Our team works like a family and Arvind Kejriwal is the head of this family. Every decision he makes is to protect and grow this family,” he said.

The Punjab CM added that after independence there was fear that the country would fall into the hands of “black Britishers”. Even after 75 years, basic problems like uncovered sewer lids persist because earlier governments failed to work. “Arvind Kejriwal started talking about education, health, electricity and infrastructure. It changed even the manifestos of other parties. Earlier there used to be staged fights, but AAP has given a new direction to politics,” he said.

This victory of Ludhiana West is a victory of positivity and development: Sanjeev Arora

Newly elected MLA Sanjeev Arora thanked the people of Ludhiana West and said that he contested this election for positivity and development. “I want to bring real change in Ludhiana. In the last three years, a lot of good changes have happened. Going forward, the change will continue not just in Ludhiana, but across all of Punjab,” he said.

He said this was a big win for AAP in Punjab. “This time we got more votes compared to before. This is a victory of positivity and development. During the entire campaign, I didn’t mention any opponent’s name even once. I only told people what we had done in the past three years. I didn’t even know I would contest elections — I worked without any desire for votes,” Sanjeev Arora said.

Sanjeev Arora expressed deep gratitude to Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann for placing their trust in him. “I sincerely thank them and the voters for believing in me,” he said.

Entire Gujarat wants change under AAP’s leadership: Gopal Italia

Newly elected Visavadar MLA Gopal Italia said that Arvind Kejriwal has given the country a new vision and a new way of thinking. “Our common thinking is rooted in our basic needs. These basic needs must be discussed in the assembly. Governments should work on our fundamental rights and ensure that our constitutional rights are protected,” he said.

“But what we’ve seen for years is that governments are made through money and then money is made from the government. This game has gone on for too long,” Gopal Italia said. “For the first time in Indian politics, Kejriwal’s thinking has created a political culture where neither is the government formed by money, nor is money made from the government. Rather, the people form the government and the government works for the people.”

He said that in Visavadar, the BJP fielded all its ministers and deployed large amounts of money, but he didn’t give a single rupee. “I simply shared Kejriwal’s vision and said that if we win, we’ll work for you. The people supported that vision. I am thankful to every voter who chose the right and rejected the wrong,” he said.

“Gujarat has been wanting change for years. The public is tired of the BJP. Gujarat wants change under the leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party. The mandate of Gujarat is clear,” Gopal Italia said.