Delhi’s Food Supply and Industry Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, declared on Wednesday that Punjabis would never permit AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal to secure a Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab.
Addressing the people of Ludhiana (West), Sirsa urged them to ensure the defeat of Sanjiv Arora in the upcoming by-election, emphasizing that this would shatter Kejriwal’s aspirations.
Terming Kejriwal a "power-hungry individual who cannot survive without power," Sirsa alleged that after being defeated comprehensively in Delhi, Kejriwal tried to convince Punjab MLAs to make him their leader so that he could become the Chief Minister. But he said that the MLAs categorically refused his offer, fearing criticism from Punjabis when they went back to their constituencies.
Sirsa also accused Kejriwal of having now selected Rajya Sabha member Sanjiv Arora as the Ludhiana (West) seat candidate, offering him a ministerial berth in return for relinquishing his Rajya Sabha seat.
"Kejriwal is trying to get into Parliament through Punjab by getting a Rajya Sabha membership," Sirsa said.
BJP national secretary claimed that Punjab people would never allow this scheme to come into existence because they would resoundingly defeat Arora in the by-election, leaving Kejriwal's dreams unheard. He also foresaw that an AAP defeat in Ludhiana would be the start of the party's collapse in the 2027 elections, just as it is crumbling in Delhi.
AAP's Punjab spokesperson Neel Garg refuted the Opposition's allegations as mere rumors, rejecting any such plan to replace Arora in the Rajya Sabha by Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia.
The BJP's rumour factory is in top gear. The Ludhiana (West) election has not even been notified yet. Arora was chosen as the candidate because he has a strong base here. Further, he is still a Rajya Sabha member and cannot fight the by-election without first resigning," Garg informed the media.
Backing the party's move, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Sandhwan justified AAP's prerogative to field candidates for the Rajya Sabha from any state.
It's fully legal. Even Manmohan Singh had contested Rajya Sabha from another state. The party will select the candidate, and I will receive whoever will be selected," Sandhwan stated.
The seat of Ludhiana (West) fell vacant after the sudden death of Gurpreet Gogi Bassi, 58, who was shot dead in his house last month.
The by-poll schedule is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India. The recent by-elections saw Kejriwal defeated in the New Delhi constituency by BJP candidate Parvesh Verma in the recently held Assembly elections.
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