Dasuya bypoll: BJP may field Sahi's wife

The state BJP is learnt to have decided on fielding former MLA Amarjit Singh Sahi's wife, Sukhjit Kaur, for the Dasuya bypoll, slated for July 11. A senior party leader confirmed the decision and said that an official announcement was expected today.

The state BJP is learnt to have decided on fielding former MLA Amarjit Singh Sahi's wife, Sukhjit Kaur, for the Dasuya bypoll, slated for July 11. A senior party leader confirmed the decision and said that an official announcement was expected on Monday. Sahi had died on June 3, following a heart attack.

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The party's core committee that met in Chandigarh on Friday could not arrive at a consensus as some members proposed that a senior party functionary should be nominated, instead of giving the ticket to deceased's family. However, on Saturday the committee decided to recommend Sukhjit's name to the National Parliamentary Board.

On the bhog ceremony of Amarjit, Sahi's son Dr Harsimrat Singh had staked claim to party ticket.Two former ministers Tikshan Sud and Arunesh Shakir also wanted the ticket, but the core committee, which comprises senior leaders including state president Ashwani Sharma, felt that Sahi's wife was the safest bet. It is learnt that the family too supported the move.

In the Congress too, a number of candidates are vying for ticket as Ramesh Chander Dogra, who lost to Sahi in the assembly polls, is not keen to enter the fray due to bad health.

Meanwhile, the Left parties have decided to support the PPP nominee, who is yet to be announced. In the assembly elections, advocate Bhupinder Singh Ghumman was the nominee.