In a dramatic turn of events, a prominent Mumbai-based businessman and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Swaran Salaria has ignited a revolt within the party ranks by declaring his candidacy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Gurdaspur constituency. Despite the BJP’s prior announcement of former MLA Dinesh Babbu as its candidate from the constituency for June 1 polls, Salaria has declared his decision to contest the elections, and that too from a “winning and good party”.
Salaria’s announcement came at a time when another BJP leader Kavita Khanna — widow of three-time MP and yesteryears Bollywood superstar Vinod Khanna — had also given enough indications of a similar move. Reports are that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which would be fielding its candidate this time from the seat which used to be in BJP’s kitty as part of their coalition since past few decades, is making attempts to rope in Kavita Khanna. After 1996, SAD and BJP would be contesting independently after the Akali Dal walked out of NDA in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws.
Notably, in 2019 Lok Sabha polls too, both Salaria and Kavita Khanna had rebelled against the party for ignoring their claims on the seat, but were pacified. BJP had fielded Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol from the seat, who had defeated the then sitting MP, Congress’ Sunil Jakhar — now the Punjab BJP president.
Salaria’s political journey in Gurdaspur began in 2017 when he contested the bypoll on a BJP ticket following the demise of the then BJP MP Vinod Khanna. However, despite his earnest efforts, Salaria faced defeat at the hands of the Congress’ Sunil Jakhar. Undeterred by this setback, Salaria continued to immerse himself in grassroots work within the constituency, earning the trust and support of the local populace.
“I have been working in the constituency for many years, and the people in my area have pledged their support for my victory,” Salaria affirmed, exuding confidence in his electoral prospects. He boldly declared his intent to secure a decisive victory, asserting, “I guarantee that I will win by a margin of over 2.50 lakh votes.”
Emphasizing his allegiance to a “good party”, Salaria clarified that he would not contest the elections as an independent candidate, signaling his commitment to align himself with a political entity that shares his vision and values. “I will fight on the symbol of a good party…It will be clear by April 13. It will be a good and winning party,” he said.
Despite the BJP's nomination of Babbu — a former three-time MLA from Sujanpur in Pathankot — for the Gurdaspur seat, Salaria harboured no ill feelings towards the party leadership. “I did not asked for the ticket from the BJP. I extend my best wishes to the chosen candidate,” said Salaria.
As of now, BJP is the only party to have declared its candidate for Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, with the other major political parties — ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and also the SAD — yet to announce the names.
Gurdaspur holds significant historical and political importance for the BJP, as it was once represented by the late Vinod Khanna, who achieved multiple electoral victories for the party. However, with shifting political dynamics and the BJP's decision to contest the elections independently in Punjab for the first time in decades, the electoral landscape in Gurdaspur has become increasingly unpredictable.
A former Congress stronghold, Gurdaspur witnessed a transformation with Khanna’s electoral triumph in 1998, marking the beginning of the BJP’s ascendancy in the region. After defeating Congress’ five-time MP Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, Khanna registered victories for the BJP in 1999, 2004, and 2014. In 2009, Khanna lost to the Congress’ Partap Singh Bajwa.
