The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP looks for alternatives to Sidhu

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Sunday, Jan 21, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

BJP looks for alternatives to Sidhu

Neena Vyas

The odds favour the party giving the ticket to his wife

NEW DELHI: The BJP is looking for alternative candidates for Amritsar Lok Sabha by-election in the event of cricket commentator and former MP, Navjot Singh Sidhu, being disqualified by the Supreme Court. Mr. Sidhu has appealed to court that his conviction for manslaughter not amounting to murder in a road rage death case be stayed to allow him to contest poll.

The odds seem to be in favour of the party giving the ticket to the former MP's wife, Navjot Kaur. However, the race for the ticket has been given an interesting twist with speculation that the party may field party general secretary Arun Jaitley.

Mr. Jaitley has been put in-charge of Punjab elections and if he were given the Amritsar Lok Sabha ticket someone else would have to shoulder that responsibility. Mr. Jaitley himself was non-committal on the subject and several party leaders have indicated that some top leaders favour the ticket being given to Ms. Sidhu if the need arose. Since May 2004, when the last Lok Sabha election was fought, the party has been thinking about bringing some of its younger leaders — Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj among them — into the Lok Sabha. Mr. Jaitley's name had figured in the informal discussions when the Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh) Lok Sabha by-election was held. But then the party decided otherwise. The BJP has now cleared all but two candidates for the 23 Assembly seats it will be fighting in Punjab. While 15 were released earlier, the second list of six candidates was released here on Friday. It seems that the decision on the Amritsar seat will be taken after the Supreme Court gives its order on the Sidhu plea.

There is a view among the top party bosses that L.K. Advani may not welcome the entry of Mr. Jaitley into the Lok Sabha as that would mean a ready alternative would be available in the event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh deciding that it was time for Mr. Advani to retire from that post. At the moment, though, such a change is being ruled out. To avoid any internal controversy over such a move it seems that the party may adopt the "safer" course — give the ticket to Mr. Sidhu or to his wife.

The six candidates cleared for Punjab on Friday are: Arunesh Shaker (Mukeria Assembly segment); Chunnilal Bhagat (Jullundur South); Madan Mohan Mittal (Nangal); Dr. Ram Kumar (Abohar); Rajendra Mohan Singh Chhena (Amritsar West); and Laxmi Kanta Chawla (Amritsar Central).

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