Ashwani Sekhri is a Punjab politician and lawyer who represented the Batala Assembly constituency in Gurdaspur district on three separate occasions for the Indian National Congress, first winning the seat in 1985 and returning to win it again in 2002 and 2012. A former Minister of State for Tourism and Culture and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary under Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, he left Congress in July 2023 after being expelled by the Punjab Congress leadership and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, where he currently serves as Chief Media Incharge for BJP Punjab.
Ashwani Sekhri Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Ashwani Sekhri |
| Date of Birth | 26 March 1959 |
| Age (2026) | 67 years |
| Birthplace | Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India |
| Hometown | Sekhri House, Batala, Gurdaspur |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste or Community | Not publicly confirmed |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Height | Not publicly confirmed |
| Weight | Not publicly confirmed |
| Eye Colour | Not publicly confirmed |
| Hair Colour | Not publicly confirmed |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
| Known For | Three-time MLA Batala (1985, 2002, 2012), former Punjab Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, BJP Punjab Chief Media Incharge, one of 42 Congress MLAs who resigned over SYL water canal ruling |
| Father’s Name | Vishwa Mitter Sekhri (deceased) |
| Mother’s Name | Janak Rani Sekhri |
| Siblings | Not publicly confirmed |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Anuja Sekhri |
| Children | Two sons |
| School | Not publicly confirmed |
| College or University | Department of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh |
| Degree or Qualification | LLB and BA (Hons), Department of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1981 |
| Political Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); formerly Indian National Congress (INC) until July 2023 |
| Current Position or Role | Chief Media Incharge, BJP Punjab; former three-time MLA Batala |
| Net Worth (estimated) | Not fully confirmed (2017 assets not itemised in available source material; 2022 data not independently accessed) |
| Monthly Income (estimated) | Not publicly confirmed |
| Twitter/X | Not publicly confirmed |
| Not publicly confirmed | |
| Not publicly confirmed | |
| YouTube | Not publicly confirmed |
| Official Website | Not publicly confirmed |
Ashwani Sekhri Election History
| Year | Constituency | Party | Result | Votes | Notes |
| 1985 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Won | Not publicly confirmed | First Assembly win; maiden MLA election |
| 2002 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Won | Not publicly confirmed | Re-elected; won by a large margin; appointed MoS Tourism |
| 2007 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Lost | Not publicly confirmed | Lost in anti-Congress wave |
| 2012 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Won | Not publicly confirmed | Won by 18,885 votes over SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal |
| 2017 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Lost (2nd place) | Not publicly confirmed | Lost to SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by 485 votes |
| 2022 | Batala, Gurdaspur | INC | Lost (2nd place) | Not publicly confirmed | Lost to AAP’s Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) by 28,472 votes; 21.25% vote share |
Ashwani Sekhri Events
| Year | Event |
| 26 March 1959 | Born in Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab |
| 1981 | Completed LLB and BA (Hons) from the Department of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh |
| 1985 | Elected MLA from Batala for the first time |
| 2002 | Re-elected MLA from Batala; appointed Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Punjab |
| 2002 to 2005 | Served as Minister of State, Punjab government under CM Amarinder Singh |
| 2005 to 2007 | Served as Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab government under CM Amarinder Singh |
| 2007 | Lost Batala Assembly seat in anti-Congress wave |
| 2009 | Appointed Spokesperson, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee |
| 2012 | Re-elected MLA from Batala for a third term; won by 18,885 votes over SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal |
| 2016 | Among 42 INC MLAs who submitted resignations to Governor over Supreme Court SYL canal ruling |
| 2017 | Lost Batala to SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by 485 votes |
| 2021 to 2022 | Appointed Chairman, Punjab Health Systems Corporation |
| 2022 | Contested Batala again for INC; lost to AAP’s Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) by 28,472 votes |
| Post 2022 | Aligned with former PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s faction within Congress |
| 15 to 16 July 2023 | Stated intent to join BJP after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah; expelled from Congress by PPCC chief Raja Warring |
| 17 July 2023 | Formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party |
| 2023 to 2026 | Serving as Chief Media Incharge, BJP Punjab |
Ashwani Sekhri Early Life and Family
Ashwani Sekhri was born on 26 March 1959 in Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab. He grew up in the Sekhri family home in Batala, which continues to serve as his registered correspondence address in official records. His father was the late Vishwa Mitter Sekhri, and his mother was Janak Rani Sekhri. He is married to Anuja Sekhri, and they have two sons.
Ashwani Sekhri Father
His father was Vishwa Mitter Sekhri, listed as “Lt. Sh. Vishwamitter Sekhri” in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official profile, confirming he is deceased. He is described in biographical sources as a Batala-based family patriarch.
Ashwani Sekhri Mother
His mother’s name is Janak Rani Sekhri, as confirmed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official member profile.
Ashwani Sekhri Siblings and Family Background
Details about siblings are not publicly confirmed. He is married to Anuja Sekhri, as confirmed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official profile. The couple have two sons.
Ashwani Sekhri Education
Ashwani Sekhri completed his LLB and BA (Hons) from the Department of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 1981. His 2017 Election Commission affidavit categorises his educational qualification as Graduate Professional.
Ashwani Sekhri Career
Ashwani Sekhri is a lawyer by educational qualification and professional background, with his 2017 Election Commission affidavit listing “Business and Profession” as his self profession. His wife is also listed as being in “Business” in the 2017 affidavit.
Ashwani Sekhri as Punjab Minister
During the Amarinder Singh Congress government (2002 to 2007), Ashwani Sekhri first served as Minister of State for Tourism and Culture from 2002 to 2005, and then as Chief Parliamentary Secretary from 2005 to 2007, as confirmed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly official member profile.
Ashwani Sekhri Political Journey and Elections
Ashwani Sekhri first won the Batala Assembly seat in 1985. After the Congress lost power in Punjab in subsequent elections, he returned to win Batala again in 2002 and held the seat through two consecutive terms until 2007, when he lost it in the anti-Congress wave that brought the SAD back to power. He served in Congress organisational roles during the wilderness years, including as PPCC Spokesperson from 2009.
He won the Batala seat for a third time in 2012, defeating SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by 18,885 votes, one of the more emphatic constituency victories in Gurdaspur district that cycle. He was among the 42 Congress MLAs who submitted their resignations to the Governor of Punjab in 2016 in protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling on the SYL water canal.
In 2017, he narrowly lost the Batala seat to SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by just 485 votes, one of the closest defeats in his career. He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation in 2021 to 2022 during the Channi government period. He contested Batala again in 2022 but was heavily defeated by AAP’s Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi), who won with 55,570 votes (43.57%), leaving Sekhri with 21.25% vote share and a 28,472-vote margin separating them.
Following his defeat, Ashwani Sekhri aligned with the Navjot Singh Sidhu faction within Congress during the post-2022 internal party battles. He met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in mid-July 2023 and stated his intention to join the BJP. Punjab Congress chief Raja Warring immediately expelled him from the party for anti-party activities. He was the third Hindu leader from the Punjab Congress to join the BJP after Sunil Jakhar and Sunder Sham Arora, a pattern that drew concern within Congress about the party’s Hindu minority vote bank in Punjab ahead of the 2024 elections. He formally joined the BJP on 17 July 2023 and was subsequently appointed Chief Media Incharge for BJP Punjab, an organisational role using his long experience as a party spokesperson.
Ashwani Sekhri Religion and Community
What is Ashwani Sekhri Religion
Ashwani Sekhri is Hindu, as confirmed by multiple Tribune India reports that specifically identify him as a “Hindu leader from Punjab Congress” at the time of his BJP induction, alongside Sunil Jakhar and Sunder Sham Arora.
What is Ashwani Sekhri Caste or Community
His specific caste or community is not publicly confirmed in any official record or credible media source.
Ashwani Sekhri Personal Life and Relationships
Is Ashwani Sekhri Married
Yes, Ashwani Sekhri is married.
Ashwani Sekhri Wife
His wife is Anuja Sekhri, as confirmed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official member profile. Her profession is listed as “Business” in the 2017 Election Commission affidavit.
Ashwani Sekhri Children
He and Anuja Sekhri have two sons, as confirmed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official member profile. Their names are not publicly confirmed.
Ashwani Sekhri Height, Weight and Physical Appearance
His height, weight, eye colour, and hair colour are not publicly confirmed in any official record or verified media source.
Ashwani Sekhri Net Worth and Earnings
Complete, itemised financial details for Ashwani Sekhri were not fully accessible in the source material reviewed for this profile. His 2017 affidavit confirms no criminal cases declared, profession listed as “Business and Profession,” and spouse listed as “Business.” The 2022 affidavit data, including total assets and liabilities, was not independently confirmed in itemised form in the available sources. Readers seeking complete financial disclosure details are encouraged to consult the original MyNeta affidavit pages for his 2017 and 2022 Punjab Assembly filings directly.
Ashwani Sekhri Social Media
| Platform | Handle | Followers | Notes |
| Twitter/X | Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | No verified account identified |
| Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | No verified account identified | |
| Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | No verified page independently confirmed | |
| YouTube | Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | No verified account identified |
Detailed, verified social media presence for Ashwani Sekhri is not publicly confirmed across major platforms in available records.
Ashwani Sekhri Controversies
Ashwani Sekhri Congress Expulsion (July 2023)
Ashwani Sekhri was expelled from the Indian National Congress by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on 16 or 17 July 2023, two days after he publicly stated his intention to join the BJP following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Warring cited anti-party activities as the ground for expulsion. The Tribune’s reporting described Sekhri as “the third Hindu leader from the Punjab Congress to have joined the saffron party recently,” after former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar and Sunder Sham Arora, a description that framed his departure as part of a broader BJP outreach to Hindu Congress leaders in Punjab. No criminal case or formal legal proceeding has ever been associated with him across any of his election affidavits.
Lesser Known Facts About Ashwani Sekhri
- He won the Batala Assembly seat in 1985, the year of one of the most difficult periods in Punjab’s political history during the militancy era, making that win one of the more symbolically significant electoral entries in the constituency’s post-independence history.
- His 2017 defeat at Batala by just 485 votes to SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal was one of the narrowest losses recorded in Gurdaspur district that election cycle, coming after he had won the same seat by nearly 19,000 votes in 2012.
- He was among 42 Congress MLAs who collectively submitted their resignations to the Punjab Governor in 2016 in protest against the Supreme Court’s SYL canal ruling, one of the most organised acts of legislative protest in recent Punjab parliamentary history.
- He was appointed Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation in 2021 to 2022, a role given to him during the Channi government, reflecting his continued standing within Congress even after two consecutive election losses.
- Despite being a three-time MLA and former minister, his 2022 Batala vote share of 21.25% was significantly lower than his historical performance in the constituency, reflecting the depth of AAP’s 2022 wave in Gurdaspur district.
- He was described at the time of his BJP joining as part of a deliberate pattern of BJP recruiting Hindu Congress leaders from Punjab, a strategy that Congress’s own state leadership publicly acknowledged as concerning for the party’s urban Hindu vote base in the state.
- His appointment as Chief Media Incharge of BJP Punjab draws on his seventeen-plus years of media and spokesperson experience within the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, making his transition a direct application of an existing professional skill set across party lines.
Ashwani Sekhri FAQ
Who is Ashwani Sekhri?
Ashwani Sekhri is an Indian politician who served as MLA from Batala in Gurdaspur district three times for the Congress (1985, 2002, 2012), as a Punjab Minister of State and Chief Parliamentary Secretary, and who joined the BJP in July 2023, where he now serves as Chief Media Incharge for BJP Punjab.
How old is Ashwani Sekhri?
He was born on 26 March 1959, making him 67 years old as of 2026.
Is Ashwani Sekhri married?
Yes. He is married to Anuja Sekhri. They have two sons.
Who was Ashwani Sekhri’s father?
His father was Vishwa Mitter Sekhri, who is now deceased, as noted in the Punjab Legislative Assembly official profile.
What is Ashwani Sekhri known for?
He is known for being a three-time MLA from Batala, for serving as Punjab’s Minister of State for Tourism and Culture under CM Amarinder Singh, and for joining the BJP in July 2023 after being expelled from Congress.
What is Ashwani Sekhri’s constituency?
He contested the Batala Assembly constituency in Gurdaspur district across six elections between 1985 and 2022, winning on three occasions.
What was the 2022 Batala election result?
AAP’s Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) won the seat with 55,570 votes (43.57%). Ashwani Sekhri of Congress finished second with 21.25% vote share, losing by a margin of 28,472 votes.
When did Ashwani Sekhri join the BJP?
He formally joined the BJP on 17 July 2023, after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and announcing his intention to leave Congress. He was expelled from Congress by PPCC chief Raja Warring two days before formally joining BJP.
What is Ashwani Sekhri’s current role?
He serves as Chief Media Incharge for BJP Punjab, as confirmed by Wikipedia.
Sources
Punjab Legislative Assembly, Sh. Ashwani Sekhri, Member Profile, https://punjabassembly.nic.in/index.php/members/detail/12
MyNeta, Punjab 2017 Affidavit, Ashwani Sekhri,
https://www.myneta.info/punjab2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=310
PTC News, Ashwani Sekhri, Candidates,
https://www.ptcnews.tv/ashwani-sekhri
The Tribune, Batala former Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri joins BJP,
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/batala-former-congress-mla-ashwani-sekhri-joins-bjp-526259/
The Tribune, Former Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri expelled from Congress,
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/former-batala-mla-ashwani-sekhri-expelled-from-congress-526862/
OneIndia, Batala Election Result 2022,
https://www.oneindia.com/batala-assembly-elections-pb-7/
Punjab Data, Batala MLA History,
https://www.punjabdata.com/Punjab-Assembly/Batala-MLA.html
Alchetron, Ashwani Sekhri,
https://alchetron.com/Ashwani-Sekhri