Dhuri bypoll: Hectic lobbying by ticket aspirants already on

Though, the date for the byelection in Dhuri assembly constituency is yet to be announced, yet hectic lobbying by aspirants has begun.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has already made it clear the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will fight from the seat as it had also contested it in 2012 and the name of the candidate will be finalised after the date is announced.

However, the SAD's alliance partner BJP is staking its claim for the seat to prevent the SAD from getting absolute majority in the assembly, stating that the SAD's performance was not very well in Dhuri during the election in 2012.

"Out of the seven assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the past, SAD had won Dhuri assembly seat only once, now we have written to the party high command that the BJP should be given an opportunity to contest the byelection from Dhuri," said Punjab BJP secretary Jatinder Kalra.

Asked about the candidate, Kalra said, "Being a national party, BJP has good candidates from Dhuri, if BJP gets the opportunity to contest the bypoll, the candidate will be decided on the basis of the ability to win."

SAD's senior leader Gobind Singh Longowal, who had contested the last election unsuccessfully, is also running from pillar to post to get the party ticket again.

Also, Longowal had remained very active during Badal's weeklong sangat darshan programme a few days ago. Some of his supporters raised the demand before the chief minister, but Badal did not give any assurance, saying, "I know, you have been told to make the recommendation to show your loyalty to Longowal, but I am a chief minister and the party will decide the candidate."

Similarly, Congress' district president Roop Kaur Bagrian also expressed her interest to contest the bypoll for Congress. "Yes, I am ready to contest the bypoll if the party high command gives me an opportunity", said Bagrian, adding, "As I am not new to the region and had become chairman of the zila parishad earlier and had worked in Dhuri for a long time, but the decision will be taken by the party."

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Sangrur are also approaching the party's Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, but the latter has said that the party will decide the candidate after Delhi assembly polls.