BJP sifts through probables for Punjab, Chandigarh

Vibha Sharma 

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27

For the BJP, Punjab and Chandigarh together account for four Lok Sabha constituencies. The party is currently sifting through a list of probables amid issues and differences within the state leadership. In Punjab, the three seats are Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur.

Sources claim all is not well within the Punjab leadership — especially at the end connecting the BJP and RSS. All of this is in the knowledge of those managing the coordination between the political party and its ideological fountainhead at the central level. 

If allowed to fester, the situation may affect the prospects of BJP candidates and, to an extent, also its ally in Punjab — the Akali Dal. 

The saffron party, which has already made it clear that it would fight the three Lok Sabha seats it has been contesting in alliance with the Akali Dal all this while, is currently weighing its options on the three seats in Punjab and the lone Chandigarh constituency. 

While sitting MP and Union Minister Vijay Sampla appears to be the frontrunner from Hoshiarpur, sources say Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, singer-turned-politician Hans Raj Hans and some others leaders of the SC community like Dilbag Rai have also thrown in their hat for the reserved constituency. 

As far as the Amritsar constituency is concerned, the BJP is taking no chances this time. At the same time, it seems to be torn between two opinions. One section believes that a “sharp-cut politician, preferably a panthic leader” will be the best choice for the constituency which senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley lost to Captain Amarinder Singh in 2014 despite a Narendra Modi wave.

The other side is of the opinion that a Hindu leader might be a better option given that the other three players — the Congress, AAP and Akali Dal (Taksali) — will field Sikh candidates.  

In the 2017 byelection for Amritsar, BJP’s Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna lost to Congress’ Gurjeet Singh Aujla, sliding down further since 2014 and losing another 7.29% of party’s vote share.

Though names of other Sikh leaders like Union minister Hardeep Puri and RP Singh (who has already rubbished speculations that he is in the fray for Amritsar) are doing the rounds, it seems former MLA Anil Joshi is also trying his luck.

The BJP leaders here say Amritsar and Gurdaspur are important border districts which the BJP will make all efforts to win this time. The saffron party was unable to wrest Amritsar from the Congress while in Gurdaspur, it learnt the lesson the hard way, losing the seat held by Vinod Khanna to Congress’ Sunil Jakhar in the bypoll.

Leading the race to grab ticket

• Vijay Sampla appears to be the frontrunner from Hoshiarpur while Phagwara MLA Som Parkash and singer-turned-politician Hans Raj Hans have also thrown in their hat

• The party is taking no chances in Amritsar. Names of Sikh leaders like Union minister Hardeep Puri are doing the rounds though sources say former MLA Anil Joshi is also trying his luck

• In Gurdaspur, the BJP may go for either Vinod Khanna’s wife Kavita Khanna or son Akshay Khanna in order to make the most of the “goodwill” enjoyed by the late actor

• As far as Chandigarh is concerned, the choice seems to be among sitting MP Kirron Kher, state president Sanjay Tandon and former MP Satya Pal Jain