Ludhiana, April 5 -- The Congress on Friday evening announced former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu as the party candidate for the high-stakes Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll.

Ashu, 54, working president of the Punjab Congress, is a prominent Hindu face of the party and has represented the Ludhiana West seat earlier. His candidature for contesting the bypoll from the seat was approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, according to a party statement.

The Ludhiana West seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. The date for the bypoll has not been announced yet.

AAP had earlier named Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll.

"The party is b...