Jaitley may be BJP's candidate for Amritsar, if Navjot not\

The BJP has prepared a contingency plan to field former Union Minister and BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley for Amritsar Lok Sabha byelection in case Navjot Singh Sidhu fails to get a stay against his conviction in the 18-year-old road rage case before the expiry of last date for filing of nominations January 25.

Sources said the party's first choice is Sidhu and it hopes that the Supreme Court may provide him some respite by tomorrow to enable him to file the nominations. Sidhu had resigned from the LS seat in wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court convicting him in the case.

Mr Jaitley, who is also the chief spokesman of the party and in charge of the party's affairs in Punjab, has been sounded to be ready in case Sidhu is disqualified by the apex court.

Sources said the party was also toying with the idea of fielding Sidhu's wife, Navjot Kaur. However, odds had gone much in favour of Jaitley.

Party sources from Punjab said Amritsar seat was well secured and it would be prudent for the party to put up Jaitley, instead of Sidhu's wife, as Mr Jaitley was a good orator and would strengthen the party's position in the Lok Sabha.

Sources said that except for a few leaders, there was no other BJP member in the Lok Sabha who could articulate the party's stand on various issues. Mr Jaitley, a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, was however non-committal on the issue.

Mr Jaitley's name had also figured in the party discussions at the time of the Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh) Lok Sabha by-election.

Sources said the party had been thinking for quite some time to send either Mr Jaitley or another senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj who is also known for her oratory skills, to the Lok Sabha.

UNI KAS RP HT1947

Viewer's Comment

Comments Not Available

More Stories