Rashpal is state BSP chief

Deepkamal Kaur

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 25

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today appointed Rashpal Singh Raju as the state president replacing Avtar Singh Karimpuri, who has been placed in the national executive, besides being appointed coordinator for Punjab and Chandigarh.

Karimpuri, who had contested from Mahilpur in 1992 and has remained a Rajya Sabha MP, has also been named party candidate from Phillaur. The BSP’s previous candidate from Phillaur, Baldev Khera, has switched over to the Akali Dal.

Raju has served as the general secretary of the state, besides being Jalandhar zonal in-charge. He contested from Garhshankar in the 2004 Assembly byelection and from Anandpur Sahib in 2012. Karimpuri had resigned in March 2012 as the state president following a poor show of the party in the Assembly elections. He was reappointed in September 2014.

The BSP announced six more candidates. They are Nachhatar Pal Singh (Nawanshahr), Harbhajan Singh (Kharar), Kikkar Singh (Jaiton), Harjinder Singh Mithan (Talwandi Sabo), Gurbaksh Singh Chauhan (Faridkot) and Makhan Singh (Mahal Kalan). The party has already announced former state president Gurlal Saila as candidate from Chabbewal and Rajinder Singh from Banga.