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BJP announces Gejja Ram Valmiki as candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat
With this, the saffron party has declared candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, which are scheduled to vote in the seventh and the last phase on June 1
The Bhartiya Janata Party on Friday announced Gejja Ram Valmiki, former chairman of Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission, as its candidate from the Fatehgarh Sahib (reserve) parliamentary constituency.
With this, the saffron party has declared candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, which are scheduled to vote in the seventh and the last phase on June 1. This is the first time since 1996 that the BJP and the SAD, one of the oldest constituents of the NDA, which parted ways over the 2020-21 farm law protests, will be fighting the Lok Sabha polls alone in the state setting the stage for a four-cornered contest.
Valmiki was made chairman of the commission in 2019 under Capt Amarinder Singh’s government. Valmiki was given a cabinet rank by the subsequent Charanjit Singh Channi government. He also remained in charge of Jagraon assembly constituency for Congress. However, Valmiki left the party after he was denied the assembly ticket and, in February this year joined the BJP.
He will be pitted against AAP’s Gurpreet Singh GP, Congress party’s Amar Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Bikramjit Singh Khalsa.
Currently, the Fatehgarh Sahib seat is represented by Congress MP Amar Singh.
Party sources said that Valmiki emerged as the best candidate for the reserved seat. “He has been chosen because of his popularity among the Valmiki community,” a party leader said, pleading anonymity.
