The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, choosing only sitting MLAs in this initial round. The election is expected to be held in February 2027.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will seek re-election from Dhuri. Mann had earlier indicated that the list was final and congratulated the 40 nominees. AAP has become the first political party in Punjab to announce candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Regional distribution of candidates
From the Majha region, AAP has nominated 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.
The Doaba region will see Inderjit Kaur Mann contest from Nakodar, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Karambir Singh Ghuman from Dasuya, Jasvir Singh Raja Gill from Urmar, Bram Shanker Sharma Jimpa from Hoshiarpur, Ishank Kumar Chabbewal from Chabbewal, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar and Santosh Kataria from Balachaur.
In and around Rupnagar, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib, the candidates are Dinesh Chadha from Rupnagar, Kulwant Singh from SAS Nagar, Lakhbir Singh Rai from Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurinder Singh Garry Waring from Amloh and Jagtar Singh Diyalpura from Samrala.
The Ludhiana grouping includes Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola from Ludhiana East, Ashok Prashar Pappi from Ludhiana Central, Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West, Chaudhary Madan Lal Bagga from Ludhiana North, Kulwant Singh Sidhu from Atam Nagar, Manwinder Singh Giaspura from Payal and Jagtar Singh Diyalpura from Samrala.
The Malwa nominees are Manjit Singh Bilaspur from Nihal Singh Wala, Amritpal Singh Sukhanand from Bhagha Purana, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora from Moga, Devinder Jeet Singh Laddi Dhos from Dharamkot, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy from Jalalabad, Narinderpal Singh Sawna from Fazilka, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Muktsar, Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura, Amolak Singh from Jaitu, Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo, Gurpreet Singh Banawali from Sardulgarh, Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur, Kulwant Singh Pandori from Mehal Kalan, Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra from Amargarh, Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri and Ajitpal Singh Kohli from Patiala.
Four women feature in the list: Inderjit Kaur Mann, Santosh Kataria, Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora and Baljinder Kaur.
Second-term MLAs and bypoll winners
Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Baljinder Kaur have won Assembly elections in both 2017 and 2022, making them second-term MLAs. AAP has nine second-term MLAs in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, compared with 85 first-time legislators. As a result, most of the candidates in the announced list are serving their first term.
Three nominees entered the Assembly through bypolls during the current term. Sanjeev Arora, who is a Rajya Sabha member, won the Ludhiana West by-election in 2025 by defeating Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu by 10,637 votes.
Harmeet Singh Sandhu won the Tarn Taran bypoll in November 2025 with a margin of 12,091 votes. A former Akali Dal leader and a three-time MLA, Sandhu is an experienced legislator but joined the AAP fold more recently. Ishank Kumar Chabbewal won the Chabbewal bypoll in 2024.
The first list also features AAP state working president Sherry Kalsi from Batala and Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura.
More sitting MLAs await decision
Before the candidate announcement, there had been speculation that between 30 and 40 sitting MLAs could be denied tickets. Bhagwant Mann had said that no legislator was assured of a nomination and that voter feedback and winnability would guide the selection process.
The first list indicates that the party has begun with its strongest incumbent candidates. AAP currently has 94 MLAs in the 117-member House, meaning more than 50 sitting legislators are not included in this announcement. Their nominations remain undecided.
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