Jalandhar, November 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced candidates for three Assembly constituencies in Jalandhar, setting up a significant electoral contest in Jalandhar Cantonment, where senior party leader Deepak Bali will challenge newly appointed Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh in the 2027 Assembly elections.
In its second list of 31 candidates released on Thursday, AAP named Deepak Bali from Jalandhar Cantonment, Jalandhar Mayor Vaneet Dhir from Jalandhar North and entrepreneur Nitin Kohli from Jalandhar Central.
The selections bring new faces into the electoral contest in all three constituencies, with the party replacing its 2022 candidates in Jalandhar Cantonment and North, while denying renomination to sitting Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora.
Jalandhar Cantonment: Deepak Bali Versus Pargat Singh
The most closely watched contest among the three constituencies is expected to be in Jalandhar Cantonment, where AAP has fielded Deepak Bali against sitting Congress MLA Pargat Singh, who was recently elevated as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
Bali, a senior AAP leader and cultural promoter, is considered close to party national convener Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
He has been associated with the organisation of several religious and cultural programmes supported by the Punjab Government and AAP.
Bali serves as general secretary of AAP’s Punjab unit and has also been associated with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board.
Active in the promotion of Punjabi language, music and cultural heritage for several decades, he has been associated with organisations including Punjab Jagriti Manch and Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Mahasabha.
He has also been associated with the Punjab Cricket Association and Punjabi film production, including the film Blackia.
AAP had appointed Bali as Halqa Incharge of Jalandhar Cantonment in October 2026, replacing party leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, who had been given responsibility for the constituency following the 2022 Assembly elections.
In the 2022 elections, Pargat Singh defeated AAP candidate and former IPS officer Surinder Singh Sodhi. Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Jagbir Singh Brar finished third, while BJP candidate Sarabjit Singh Makkar secured fourth place.
The political situation in the constituency has since undergone changes.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has appointed young farmer leader Harjap Singh Sangha as its Halqa Incharge, while the BJP has Sarabjit Singh Makkar, a former Akali leader, serving in a similar capacity.
However, several BJP leaders are understood to be interested in seeking the party ticket.
With Pargat Singh now heading the Punjab Congress, the Jalandhar Cantonment contest will attract attention beyond the constituency because of his organisational responsibilities and the AAP leadership’s decision to field Bali against him.
Jalandhar North: Mayor Vaneet Dhir Gets AAP Ticket
In Jalandhar North, AAP has nominated Jalandhar Mayor Vaneet Dhir, who was earlier appointed the party’s Halqa Incharge for the constituency.
The seat is currently represented by Congress MLA Avtar Singh Junior Henry, son of senior Congress leader and former Punjab minister Avtar Henry.
AAP had fielded Dinesh Dhall from Jalandhar North in the 2022 Assembly elections, but he was unsuccessful.
Dhall subsequently joined the BJP after AAP appointed Vaneet Dhir as Halqa Incharge.
In the 2022 elections, Avtar Singh Junior Henry defeated BJP candidate and former MLA K.D. Bhandari.
AAP’s Dinesh Dhall finished third, while Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Kuldip Singh Lubana, who contested the seat under the SAD-BSP alliance, secured fourth position.
K.D. Bhandari is among the prominent BJP leaders associated with the constituency and could again be considered for the party ticket.
By nominating Vaneet Dhir, AAP has chosen a candidate who currently holds the office of Mayor of Jalandhar and has been involved in the city’s municipal administration.
Jalandhar Central: Nitin Kohli Replaces Raman Arora
AAP has made a significant change in Jalandhar Central by nominating entrepreneur Nitin Kohli in place of sitting party MLA Raman Arora.
Arora, who won the constituency in 2022, became embroiled in a corruption case and was subsequently arrested and jailed.
The allegations against him remain subject to judicial proceedings.
Kohli, who has been associated with hockey administration and business activities, will be contesting the Assembly election on an AAP ticket.
His nomination marks the party’s decision to introduce a new candidate in a constituency it currently represents.
In the 2022 Assembly elections, Raman Arora defeated Congress candidate Rajinder Beri.
BJP leader and former Punjab minister Manoranjan Kalia finished third, while Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Chandan Kumar Grewal secured fourth position.
The choice of Kohli indicates that AAP has opted for a change in its representation from Jalandhar Central ahead of the 2027 elections.
AAP Changes Candidates in All Three Constituencies
AAP’s latest announcement means that none of its three candidates for Jalandhar Cantonment, Jalandhar North and Jalandhar Central contested these seats on the party ticket in the 2022 Assembly elections.
While Deepak Bali and Vaneet Dhir had already been given organisational responsibility as Halqa Incharges, Nitin Kohli has now been formally named as the party’s candidate in place of sitting MLA Raman Arora.
The announcement also sets the stage for contests involving several established political figures, including Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh in Jalandhar Cantonment and Congress MLA Avtar Singh Junior Henry in Jalandhar North.
With the second list of 31 candidates announced on November 12, AAP has now declared its nominees for 71 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies.
The party had released its first list of 40 candidates on October 31.
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