For Sriganganagar seat, BJP bets on fresh face, ignores veteran leader

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, April 7

Eying bigger dreams, BJP has fielded Priyanka Balan, daughter of a retired Public Health Department engineer, after denying ticket to five-time MP Nihal Chand Meghwal in Sriganganagar (SC) constituency that has a good number of Punjabis having wider social equations in neighbouring Abohar and Fazilka of Punjab.

Born in a Meghwal (SC) family, MBA degree holder Priyanka is serving as chairperson of the Municipal Council in Anoopgarh that otherwise falls in Bikaner parliamentary constituency. Congress candidate Kuldeep Indora also belongs to Anoopgarh.

Sriganganagar Lok Sabha constituency has Sadulshahar, Sriganganagar, Srikaranpur, Suratgarh and Raisinghnagar Assembly constituencies of Sriganganagar district and Hanumangarh, Sangria and Peelibanga segments of Hanumangarh district.

By denying ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha election to Nihal Chand Meghwal, the BJP did spring a surprise but Ramesh Rajpal, chairman of Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh Arora Mahasabha claims that BJP candidates in six of the eight segments had lost in the Rajasthan Assembly elections even when the saffron party recorded a big win in November 2023. One of the reasons was resentment in the Arora Khatri community as Nihal Chand had reportedly opposed giving a ticket to any member of the community which has a strong presence. Now the Arora Mahasabha has decided to support Priyanka who is daughter-in-law of an Arora family.

Panna Lal Barupal of Congress had won from Sriganganagar parliamentary constituency in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1971. Nihal Chand Meghwal of the BJP won in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2019 and served as Minister of State as well for a short span in the NDA government.

Now for the April 19 polls, Priyanka and Kuldeep Indora also face Devkaran Nayak of the BSP in the contest. Kuldeep had earlier unsuccessfully contested Vidhan Sabha election. A senior farmers’ leader Maninder Singh Mann on Saturday announced support to Kuldeep for whom women were also campaigning actively as his wife Seema had in the past served as chairperson of Anoopgarh Municipal Council.

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