Chandigarh BJP sends three names for LS ticket
Sandeep Rana
Chandigarh, March 2
While the BJP is said to be mulling over fielding a new face or someone from outside from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, the city party unit has sent the names of former MP Satya Pal Jain, ex-party presidents Sanjay Tandon and Arun Sood to the high command for ticket.
The names were sent following Manthri Srinivasulu, general secretary (organisation), Punjab and Chandigarh, held on February 26 one-on-one meetings with local leaders as well as councillors to know about their choice of candidate for the seat. Now, the central BJP leadership will take a call whether to go with one of these candidates or someone else.
Jain was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chandigarh in 1996 and 1998. At present, he is Additional Solicitor General of India and also a member of the Panjab University senate. Tandon, who is Himachal Pradesh BJP’s co-in charge, has been city party president for nearly a decade. Sood, former Mayor, has been city BJP chief for three years.
Sood is a new entrant in the race for ticket. Jain and Tandon, along with former Union minister Harmohan Dhawan (then in BJP), who recently passed away, had been in contest for LS ticket from Chandigarh for a long time. However, the party had opted for actor Kirron Kher in 2014. She won from Chandigarh in 2014 and 2019.
Sources said the BJP was also considering a new face or someone else from outside for the seat. For now, it is not in favour of fielding another celebrity from here. Name of Union minister and four-time Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur is also said to have been discussed at the senior party level for the seat.
Earlier, the city Congress had sent the names of former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari and local party president HS Lucky to its leadership.
While not disclosing the names, city BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra said, “Based on the views of all leaders, the names were sent to the party high command.”
Other probables
Sources said the BJP was also considering a new face or someone else from outside for the seat. Name of Union minister and four-time Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur is also said to have been discussed at the senior level. The name of devotional singer Kanhiya Mittal, who is a city resident, is also doing the rounds.