Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to call Adampur airport in Jalandhar after Guru Ravidas, the transfer coming a day earlier than nomination course of begins for July the bypoll to the Jalandhar West Meeting constituency slated for July 10.
Whereas not one of the main political events have introduced candidates for the bypoll, necessitated by the resignation of Sheetal Angural, the lobbying for tickets has begun.
Angural was AAP’s Jalandhar West (SC) lawmaker. He resigned from the Meeting on March 28, a day after he and then-Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku converted to the BJP from AAP. Rinku contested the Lok Sabha polls as BJP nominee however misplaced to Congress candidate and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
A buoyed Congress has set its sights on the Jalandhar West as Channi had secured a lead over his rivals within the Meeting section. Beforehand, speculations had been rife that somebody from Channi’s household might get the bypoll ticket. Channi, nevertheless, dismissed the rumours. In the meantime, a number of native councillors and Congress leaders have expressed curiosity in contesting from right here, with some already staking their declare. Celebration leaders have indicated that even a parachute candidate may be nominated if native leaders within the constituency are deemed missing winnability.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, the BJP is gearing as much as reclaim the misplaced floor. The celebration trailed by a slim margin of roughly 1500 votes on this Meeting section. Inside the BJP ranks, speculations had been rife relating to their potential nominee, with many suggesting the identify of Sunita Rinku, the spouse of Sushil Rinku. Angural too is a possible candidate.
Contemplating that Jalandhar West is a reserved Meeting constituency, the timing of Jakhar’s letter to PM Modi has not gone unnoticed.
The prime minister, throughout his final ballot rally in Hoshiarpur on Could 30, mentioned it was his want that the Adampur airport be named after Guru Ravidas. Modi had then mentioned the welfare of the poor was his authorities’s high precedence and on this Guru Ravidas is a giant inspiration.
The Adampur airport in Jalandhar serves Punjab’s Doaba area. Modi had nearly inaugurated the Adampur airport’s new terminal buildings on March 10.
In his letter to PM, Jakhar mentioned, “I take this chance to attract your consideration in direction of two points which have a deep emotional-spiritual bearing on the minds of individuals. These points additionally discover resonance together with your dedication in direction of the society”.
“The renaming of the Adampur Airport after the Fifteenth-century religious sage Guru Ravidas, as already expressed by you throughout your latest go to to Punjab, will go an extended method to underpin the ethos of spirituality within the range that binds India. This has additionally been a long-pending demand from the individuals of Punjab,” Jakhar wrote. He additionally requested Modi that because the Guru Ravidas temple in Tughlakabad in Delhi was to be rebuilt, it will be worthwhile to think about creating the world across the temple right into a serene backyard.
“This can improve the shrine’s attraction with out tinkering with the format. This can encourage individuals from throughout to soak within the egalitarian preaching of the revered saint,” the Punjab BJP chief mentioned.
Guru Ravidas has an enormous following in Punjab, particularly Jalandhar and renaming the aiport after him is an emotive concern that may have bearing on the bypoll.
In the meantime, from ruling AAP, a number of contenders have thrown their hat within the ring. The frontrunner is Mahinder Pal Bhagat, a seasoned campaigner with deep roots within the constituency. His father, Bhagat Chuni Lal, a three-time MLA from Jalandhar West was a former minister, and Mahinder is decided to hold ahead his legacy. Moreover, names of Pawan Kumar Tinu and Dr. Kashmiri Lal are additionally being thought-about.
Along with his selfless service through the Covid-19 pandemic, Kashmiri Lal earned admiration and respect from the native populace. His grassroots efforts and unwavering dedication to the neighborhood have struck a chord with voters, positioning him as a possible candidate.
In the meantime, the constituency grapples with points starting from growth, drug abuse, unlawful lottery operations, and unemployment to healthcare and infrastructure shortcomings.
Nomination papers could be filed with the Jalandhar Growth Authority property officer, who’s the returning officer for the constituency. The final date for submitting nominations is June 21. The nomination papers shall be scrutinised on June 24 whereas the final date to withdraw nominations is June 26.