AAP Nominates Rajinder Gupta for RS, Sandhu for Tarn Taran MLA By-poll

Panjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced industrialist Rajinder Gupta as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament, RS) by-poll scheduled to be held on 24 October. The decision was taken by the AAP's political affairs committee. The by-poll is being held to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of AAP's Sanjeev Arora, who stepped down from the RS following his election to the state assembly from Ludhiana West. Arora, whose term was to end on 9 Apr 2028, is presently a minister in the Panjab Cabinet. Gupta is a wealthy chairman emeritus of the Trident Group. He recently resigned as the vice-chairman of the State Economic Policy and Planning Board. In June, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal put to rest speculation that he would enter the RS from Panjab. Meanwhile, Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) member Harmeet Singh Sandhu as the AAP candidate for the upcoming by-poll on the Tarn Taran Assembly seat. Concurrently, two-time MLA and former minister Anil Joshi joined the Indian National Congress on 30 Sep. He was earlier in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but after expulsion he joined SAD. However, Joshi's political future within the INC is somewhat uncertain. Though he has a stronghold in the Amritsar North Assembly constituency, senior INC leaders are eyeing the seat. Party insiders suggest that they are open to supporting Joshi if he agrees to contest from another constituency, either within Amritsar or from Tarn Taran, his native district. At the same time, Panjab government has announced a special Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) session in Anandpur Sahib on 24 Nov. This session is proposed to be held as part of the series of events to be observed by the AAP government, to mark the 350^th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sovereign, Guru Teghbahadar. Mann also said the state government will take up the matter of commemorating the martyrdom anniversary as Human Rights Day with the union government (earlier coverage).