AAP picks Balbir Singh Seechewal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney for Rajya Sabha

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 28

The Aam Aadmi Party has decided on two eminent Punjabis — environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal and industrialist-cum-philanthropist Vikramjit Singh Sahney as the party nominees for Rajya Sabha.

The two are expected to file their nomination papers on Tuesday, the last date for the process. Both are recipients of Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in the country.

Their election to the Rajya Sabha is more or less certain, as the Opposition parties, even collectively, do not have the requisite numbers in the Vidhan Sabha to push for their own candidates. The results of the election are to be declared on June 10.

With the likely entry of two more AAP nominees into the Rajya Sabha, the party’s strength is set to go up to 10.

It will be after almost seven decades that the Congress will have no RS nominee from the state. Similarly, the Akalis will have no nominee in the Upper House for the first time in 22 years. The two from AAP will replace Ambika Soni (Congress) and Balwinder Singh Bhunder (SAD), whose terms end on July 4. During the elections to the five Rajya Sabha seats in March, the AAP had drawn criticism from the Opposition for choosing “non-Punjabis” to represent the state in the Upper House. The party had then sent its Punjab affairs incharge Raghav Chadha, its poll strategist Sandeep Pathak, cricketer Harbhajan Singh and industrialists Ashok Mittal and Sanjeev “Sunny” Arora to the Rajya Sabha. Treading cautiously this time, the party high command has chosen eminent Punjabis for the two vacant seats. Sahney belongs to a village near Kotkapura in Faridkot and his contribution to promoting Punjab and its culture, besides setting up skill development centres for underprivileged and his social service in the course of the pandemic, is unquestionable. He is the president of the World Punjabi Organisation, which works in 22 countries to promote Punjab, its culture and heritage.

Similarly, Seechewal’s contribution as an environmentalist has won him national and international accolades. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was at his Seechewal village on Friday, where he convinced the environmentalist for RS nomination.

CM Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal have congratulated the two, saying their vast experience would help them take up matters of public interest in the Rajya Sabha.

Noted environmentalist

Balbir Singh Seechewal, 60

The renowned environmental activist and social worker was awarded Padma Shri for rejuvenating the 160-km Kali Bein, a tributary that flows into confluence of Sutlej and Beas. He has constructed schools and colleges for the underprivileged in different parts of Punjab. He had earlier received the SAARC Environmental Award and was felicitated by the Dalai Lama. Known as “Eco Baba”, Seechewal was hailed as one of the “Top 30 Heroes of the Environment” in the world by Time Magazine. His work was endorsed by late President APJ Abdul Kalam, who had twice visited him at his Seechewal village.

Bizman philanthropist

Vikramjit Singh Sahney, 60

The entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist is the international president of World Punjabi Organisation. The Padma Shri recipient recently he helped evacuate over 500 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs by sending three chartered flights and helped in their rehabilitation in India. His social service during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and his role in raising awareness on drug abuse through his Sun Foundation has been widely appreciated. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had conferred the Anmol Sikh Rattan Award on him for his exemplary services.

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