Jalandhar West bypoll: BJP unsure of giving ticket to Sheetal Angural
Deepkamal Kaur
Jalandhar, June 11
Former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural, who resigned from the Vidhan Sabha, to join the BJP more than two months ago, may not be able to re-contest. Saffron party leaders are uncertain about announcing him as the party nominee. After the acceptance of his resignation by the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, the EC had announced the bypoll to the Jalandhar West (Reserved) Assembly seat.
Angural’s brother Rajan had already got his posters designed and was getting these posted on the social media after which the party barred him from doing so. On Wednesday, BJP general secretary (organisation), Punjab, Manthri Srinivasulu, is expected to be in Jalandhar and a feedback on the likely candidate will be taken from party leaders and workers. The name of Sunita Rinku, former councillor and wife of former MP Sushil Rinku, is among the frontrunners. The names of a retired Civil Hospital doctor and former AAP leader, Dr Shiv Dayal Mali, and former councillor Varesh Mintu, both of whom are from the dominant Bhagat community in the area, are also doing the rounds.
Rinku and Angural were known to have remained bitter enemies, but have become friends since they both left AAP to join the BJP. Now that Angural and Rinku’s wife are vying to get the ticket for the bypoll, they have again become competitors.
Reacting to reports that Sunita Rinku could be given the ticket by the BJP, Angural said, “I have no issues with that and I will support her candidature with all my might. Whether the party choses me or her, it is like the same family getting the ticket.”