Punjab Assembly elections 2027: AAP releases first list of 40 candidates; Bhagwant Mann to contest from Dhuri

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has named its first 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The party has gone with experience: every name on the list is a sitting MLA, so there are no fresh faces in this round.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will contest again from Dhuri. He had earlier said the list was final and congratulated all 40 candidates. AAP is the first party in the state to announce nominees, with the election expected in February 2027.

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In the Majha region, the party has fielded Amansher Singh (Sherry Kalsi) from Batala, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala, Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar from Amritsar South, Harmeet Singh Sandhu from Tarn Taran and Sarvan Singh Dhun from Khem Karan.

In the Doaba belt, the nominees are Inderjit Kaur Mann (Nakodar), Balkar Singh (Kartarpur), Karambir Singh Ghuman (Dasuya), Jasvir Singh Raja Gill (Urmar), Bram Shanker Sharma Jimpa (Hoshiarpur), Ishank Kumar Chabbewal (Chabbewal), Jai Krishan Singh Rouri (Garhshankar) and Santosh Kataria (Balachaur).

Around Rupnagar, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib, the party has named Dinesh Chadha (Rupnagar), Kulwant Singh (SAS Nagar), Lakhbir Singh Rai (Fatehgarh Sahib), Gurinder Singh Garry Waring (Amloh) and Jagtar Singh Diyalpura (Samrala).

Ludhiana district gets seven candidates: Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola (Ludhiana East), Ashok Prashar Pappi (Ludhiana Central), Sanjeev Arora (Ludhiana West), Chaudhary Madan Lal Bagga (Ludhiana North), Kulwant Singh Sidhu (Atam Nagar), Manwinder Singh Giaspura (Payal) and Jagtar Singh Diyalpura’s neighbouring seat of Samrala, named above.

In the Malwa belt, the list includes Manjit Singh Bilaspur (Nihal Singh Wala), Amritpal Singh Sukhanand (Bhagha Purana), Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora (Moga), Devinder Jeet Singh Laddi Dhos (Dharamkot), Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy (Jalalabad), Narinderpal Singh Sawna (Fazilka), Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar (Muktsar), Kultar Singh Sandhwan (Kotkapura), Amolak Singh (Jaitu), Baljinder Kaur (Talwandi Sabo), Gurpreet Singh Banawali (Sardulgarh), Labh Singh Ugoke (Bhadaur), Kulwant Singh Pandori (Mehal Kalan), Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra (Amargarh), Bhagwant Mann (Dhuri) and Ajitpal Singh Kohli (Patiala).

Four of the 40 are women: Inderjit Kaur Mann, Santosh Kataria, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora and Baljinder Kaur.

Old faces and new faces

At least four candidates are second-term MLAs who won in both 2017 and 2022. They are Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Baljinder Kaur. AAP has only nine second-term MLAs in the 117-member House, against 85 first-timers, so most of those named are in their first term. 

Three candidates reached the Assembly through byelections during this term. Sanjeev Arora, a Rajya Sabha member, won the Ludhiana West bypoll in 2025 by defeating Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu by 10,637 votes. Harmeet Singh Sandhu won the Tarn Taran bypoll in November 2025 by 12,091 votes. He is a former Akali Dal leader and a three-time MLA, so he is a seasoned legislator but a newer name in the AAP fold. Ishank Kumar Chabbewal won the Chabbewal bypoll in 2024. 

Beyond the Chief Minister, the list also includes AAP state working president Sherry Kalsi from Batala and Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura.

What the list signals

Before the announcement, there was speculation that 30 to 40 sitting MLAs could be denied tickets. Mann had also said that no one was guaranteed a ticket and that voter feedback and winnability would decide. The first list suggests the party has started with its strongest incumbents. AAP has 94 MLAs in the House, so more than 50 sitting MLAs are not in this list. Their tickets are still undecided.

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