In a sudden turn of events, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab has been put on defensive over the Enforcement Directorate raids on two of its prominent businessmen-turned-politicians, Ahok Mittal and Sanjeev Arora. The AAP is understandably jittery since the raids come just ahead of the state assembly elections, which are scheduled for less than a year from now.
Ashok Mittal is sitting Rajya Sabha MP with varied business interests. He is the owner of Lovely Professional University, one of the first private universities in the country, a chain of sweet shops and automobile dealerships. He did not have any political background when the AAP nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 2022. His nomination may have come as a surprise, but he was not the first businessman to go to the Rajya Sabha. There have been many more before him.
Mittal’s business and residential premises were raided by the Enforcement Directorate officials a few days ago. The exact details are still awaited as to whether there were any seizures or what sort of information the ED officials managed to get.
This was followed by raids on the residential and office premises of Sanjeev Arora, a highly powerful minister in the AAP government, holding the portfolios of Power, Industries and Local Bodies; all important ministries. Most of the ministers in Punjab are not known to wield much power, like Arora does. He has an advantage of being close to the national leadership. Like Mittal, Arora is also a businessman-turned-politician who was, in an equally surprise move, also nominated by the AAP to Rajya Sabha in 2022. Their political experience is as old as the AAP government in Punjab.
In early 2025, Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi died of accidental gunshots at this residence. This necessitated a by-election. Arora, who belongs to the Ludhiana West constituency, was fielded. He won the by-election and was appointed a minister in the Mann government.
Arora, in fact, had earlier also faced ED inquiry, while he was an MP.
This time, the ED has also reportedly raided the premises and offices of two other businessmen, Chander Aggarwal from Jalandhar and Hemant Sood from Ludhiana. Aggarwal and Sood, are first-generation “extraordinarily successful” businessmen with interest in finance and real estate. Aggarwal was reportedly also probed for the Mahadev betting app scam. He is also allegedly linked with cricket betting. Sood, otherwise a finance and investment expert, is said to have interest in sports betting.
Prior to getting aligned and associated with the AAP, both Ashok Mittal and Sanjeev Arora were closely associated with the leaders of all political parties in Punjab. Their having got aligned with the AAP was understood as more for business reasons than any political commitments. That is the reason most of the opposition political parties and leaders have chosen not to comment on the ED raids.
This has created a complex political situation in Punjab. The Congress, the principal opposition party in Punjab and always highly critical of the AAP government’s functioning, has chosen not to react. The reasons are obvious. The Congress leadership has always accused the BJP of using the investigating agencies like the ED, Income Tax Department and CBI against its political opponents.
Also read: ED raids Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora's premises
Had the AAP and the Congress not been sworn enemies in Punjab, the Congress might have come out in support of its leaders facing the ED action. When reporters asked Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Bhupesh Bhagel to comment on the ED raids, he did not come out with a direct reply. He claimed the AAP and the BJP were playing a fixed match. He neither supported nor criticised the ED action. Bhagel is himself facing an ED probe with his son having spent some time in jail also.
The Congress and the AAP are the staunch rivals in Punjab. The Congress remains the principal opposition party and a principal challenger to the AAP in Punjab. Even if the Congress wants to criticise the ED action as that would fit in its own narrative of the “ED being misused”, in Punjab it really can’t comment like that. The Congress in Punjab has been accusing the AAP of massive corruption. Any loss to the AAP will be a direct advantage to the Congress.
What the initial reports suggested about the ED action in Punjab is already in the public domain. Even when the AAP alleged that it was the political victimisation of its leaders ahead of elections, it did not find much resonance among the public. The Congress may claim that it has suffered the worst at the hands of the ED just out of political witch-hunt it certainly cannot side with the AAP, at least in Punjab, where it sees a chance of reviving itself.
That explains the reason why its leadership preferred to remain quiet about the ED raids against the AAP leaders in recent days. The Congress and the AAP may have the common enemy in the BJP, but in Punjab, for the Congress, BJP may be a lesser evil and its actions against the AAP may eventually suit and benefit it.
Even last year during the Delhi assembly elections, the Punjab Congress leadership asserted itself and prevailed over the party’s national leadership not to have an alliance with the AAP in Delhi, even if it meant facilitating BJP victory. The Congress’ calculation was that a defeat in Delhi will demoralise the AAP and a victory could have been quite encouraging, as it would convey a message that the AAP is invincible. This message would have gone across Punjab also, which the Punjab Congress leaders managed to prevent from happening.
No wonder, even when for both of them the BJP is the common enemy, they still cannot make a common cause against it in Punjab, where they happen to be fierce rivals.
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