AAP to Release First List of Punjab Candidates for 2027 Polls on Saturdayਆਪ 2027 ਪੰਜਾਬ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਲਈ ਉਮੀਦਵਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਸੂਚੀ ਸ਼ਨੀਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰੇਗੀ

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will release its first list of candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections on Saturday, 31 October 2026, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Friday after a meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in Delhi, ANI and The Tribune reported. The PAC, the party's highest decision-making body, met at the residence of national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to discuss candidates for the state's 117 Assembly seats and the party's election strategy. Mann, Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Jasmine Shah attended in person, while Punjab AAP president Aman Arora and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema joined by video conference.

What did Mann say after the meeting?

Mann told reporters that the names of Assembly candidates were discussed at Friday's meeting and would be discussed again when the PAC meets on Saturday, after which the first list will be released. Party sources told Punjabe News that around 15 names had been nearly finalised for the first list, and that the initial discussions focused on sitting legislators who have won Assembly elections twice, many of whom are expected to be considered for a third consecutive term. AAP currently holds 94 of the 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly. If the list comes out as announced, AAP will be the first party in Punjab to name candidates for the elections, which are due by February 2027.

Why is AAP moving this early?

Naming candidates months ahead of the polls gives the ruling party an early start on constituency-level campaigning while its rivals are still settling their own plans. The Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP have not announced candidates yet, and the Akali Dal and the BJP are still in advanced talks over a possible alliance and seat sharing for 2027. An early list also tests reactions seat by seat: sitting MLAs who are dropped or moved can be managed before the formal campaign begins, and new faces get time to build a presence in their constituencies. The announcement lands in a busy political week in Punjab, in which the Election Commission has reviewed poll preparedness in all 23 districts and senior opposition leaders have demanded that the model code of conduct be imposed early.

What happens next?

The PAC meets again on Saturday, 31 October, to finalise the names, and the first list is expected the same day. Attention will fall on how many sitting MLAs are repeated, whether any ministers face a change of seat, and which constituencies the party chooses to open with. Further lists are expected in the weeks that follow as the party works through all 117 seats. The Election Commission's district-wise review this week covered election readiness across Punjab, with EVM first-level checks due to begin on 12 November, as the state moves steadily into election mode.

When will AAP release its first Punjab list?

On Saturday, 31 October 2026, after a second meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee in Delhi, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said.

Who attended the Delhi PAC meeting?

Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Jasmine Shah attended in person, while Aman Arora and Harpal Cheema joined by video conference, ANI reported.

How many seats is AAP planning for?

All 117 Punjab Assembly seats. AAP currently holds 94 of them, and party sources said around 15 names were nearly finalised for the first list.