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State chief Sunil Jakhar, ex-minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi tussle delays BJP’s final list for Punjab
All 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab will go to the polls in the last and final phase of voting on June 1. Barring Ferozepur, Fategarh Sahib, Sangrur and Anandpur Sahib, the BJP has declared all its Punjab candidates
A Tussle between state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and ex-minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi has delayed the declaration of the party’s candidates for four Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, a senior saffron party leader said, pleading anonymity.
All 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab will go to the polls in the last and final phase of voting on June 1. Barring Ferozepur, Fategarh Sahib, Sangrur and Anandpur Sahib, the BJP has declared all its Punjab candidates. This is for the first time that the BJP will be contesting on all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
According to senior BJP leaders in the know of the matter, intense lobbying is on for the Ferozepur ticket. While Jakhar is batting for former Congress MLA and businessman Raminder Singh Awla, many senior leaders in the state unit, including an all-powerful general secretary, have put their weight behind former minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi.
Awla, who remained Congress MLA from Jalalabad is yet to join the BJP and is said to be ready to jump ship only if the party promises him the ticket. Sodhi, who remained a minister in the previous Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government, joined the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls and unsuccessfully contested from Ferozepur Urban seat in 2022 assembly polls.
The above-quoted BJP leader said that say lobbying for the Ferozepur seat is so intense that the party’s high command after listening to both groups has asked them to wait.
Awla, a moneybag, didn’t contest the 2022 assembly polls but is said to be waiting for Congress to name its candidate from Ferozepur. Congress has named its candidate for the 12 seats to date.
Former MP Sher Singh Ghubaya is being seen as a frontrunner for the Congress ticket from the Ferozepur seat as he comes from the Rai Sikh community, which dominates this parliamentary seat.
The BJP leader said that the party has reached a consensus in the remaining three seats— Anandpur Sahib, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib.
In Anandpur Sahib, as per the leader, it will be a toss between the senior vice-president of the state unit Dr Subhash Sharma and former Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna. In Sangrur, former MLA Khanna is the frontrunner.
“Discussions for the four seats of Ferozepur, Anandpur Sahib, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib have concluded. The list has been delayed because of a tussle for the Ferozepur seat. The list is expected anytime now,” the BJP leader, privy to the development said. Despite repeated attempts, state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and Sodhi were not available for comments.
