BJP fielded lightweight candidates in Amritsar, say experts

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, January 28

Political experts here are of the view that the BJP has fielded lightweight candidates from different constituencies of the district. The saffron party, which always targets the Congress for perpetuating one family rule, has itself given tickets to wards of its veteran leaders.

For instance, it has chosen Ram Chawla, son of Dr Baldev Raj Chawla who was the health minister in the BJP-Akali government, from the Amritsar Central constituency and Kumar Amit, son of retired SP and veteran BJP leader Kewal Kumar, from the Amritsar West.

Besides, the party has selected Balwinder Kaur from Attari, Manjit Singh Manna from Baba Bakala, Pardeep Singh Bhullar from Majitha and Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju, retired bureaucrat, from the Amritsar East.

An unfamiliar person, Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju, who recently resigned as Tamil Nadu’s Additional Chief Secretary, was picked to contest from the Amritsar East constituency against two big faces — Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia. People were expecting the BJP to field a celebrity face like it had once fielded Sidhu. Ram Chawla has been fielded against Congress strongman Deputy CM OP Soni from the Amritsar Central.

Kumar Amit, son of a veteran BJP leader, is nephew of Rakesh Gill, who had unsuccessfully contested from the Amritsar West in the past. Manjit Singh Manna from Baba Bakala is the only candidate from the district who had a proven track record in politics.