Punjab unit of the BJP on Tuesday constituted 16-member State Election Committee in the run up to the lok Sabha polls, leaving out party’s lone MP from the State.
The election committee, which would have a role in deciding the candidates for the upcoming lok Sabha elections, does not have the name of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been Amritsar MP thrice in a row.
The 16-member committee comprises State president Kamal Sharma, former Minister and party’s national vice-president Prof laxmi Kanta Chawla, senior leader and national in-charge of party’s senior citizen cell Balramji Dass Tandon, and several other State Ministers and leaders of different wings.
However, the saffron party played down the omission of his rebel MP in the BJP State Election Committee, raising speculation on whether he has been sidelined for shooting his mouth off on matters not in tune with the party.
Among other members of the committee are the State Cabinet Minister and BJP legislative party chief Bhagat Chuni lal, Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi, Cabinet Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, BJP State general secretary organisation Ajay Jamwal, former Minister and Political Advisor to the Chief Minister Tikshan Sud, Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna, MlA and former minister Manoranjan Kalia and MlA and former party unit chief Ashwani Sharma.
The party’s State vice-president Gurcharan Kaur, State general secretaries Tarun Chugh, Rakesh Rathore, and Jagtar Singh Saini, were also among the members, along with the party’s State Mahila Morcha president Renu Thapar.