Some BJP biggies may make way for new faces

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

The BJP list of candidates for 23 seats, which state unit president Vijay Sampla said was expected any time now, is likely to witness certain top leaders making way for fresh faces.

The names, said sources, were being finalised under the guidance of BJP Punjab in-charge Prabhat Jha.

Senior leader Tikshan Sud, a three-time MLA from Hoshiarpur, is learnt to be facing tough opposition from Avinash Rai Khanna, chairman of the Punjab BJP poll campaign committee and party national vice-president.

A former Cabinet Minister and political adviser to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sud, who unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Assembly poll, himself feared being replaced by a senior leader. He is even learnt to have complained to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about “senior leaders being ignored by the state leadership”.

Khanna, on the other hand, has maintained that giving ticket was a prerogative of the party and he had nothing to say on the issue.

Rajinder Bhandari, former state unit president, is facing challenge from a youth, Kamal Chaitley, in Ludhiana (West). Bhandari, who had lost the last poll by 35,000 votes, too pleaded his case with Jaitley recently.

Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, whose supporters were involved in an altercation with Sampla’s men at a recent rally in his segment, too apprehends his name being dropped.

Sources said Vineet Joshi, assistant media adviser to the Punjab Government, could be a surprise pick from Sujanpur, Rajpura or Ludhiana. Joshi, though, has denied any intention to contest the poll.

Addressing the BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra’ in Ludhiana, Sampla said the list of nominees had already been recommended to the central parliamentary board of the party and an announcement could be made any time now.

Claiming that the SAD-BJP combine would score a hat-trick and regain power in the state, he said all-round development would be the poll plank. Asked to list the single biggest achievement of the ruling alliance, Sampla said maintenance of communal harmony in spite of several serious attempts of provocations and disruptions, was the main achievement of the government.

Panel formed on indiscipline 

Chandigarh: The state BJP on Wednesday formed a committee to look into the incident of indiscipline at Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra at Phagwara on Tuesday. Vineet Joshi, BJP state secretary, said the members of committee were Harjit Singh Grewal, Iqbal Singh Lalpura (both state vice-presidents), Anil Sachhar, secretary and Yagya Dutt Aery, member, state executive. TNS