India, Oct. 31 -- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, placing its faith entirely in sitting legislators. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann will once again contest from Dhuri, while jailed MLA Sanjeev Arora has been renominated from Ludhiana West.

The announcement, made nearly four months ahead of the polls, signals the ruling party's decision to prioritise continuity and give its candidates an early start in their respective constituencies. All 40 candidates named in this initial phase are sitting MLAs, covering nearly 34% of the state's 117 assembly seats.

The party is expected to release its second list next week.

The AAP similarly took an early lead in de...