V K Singh to contest from Ghaziabad, says BJP

Singh will now have a face-off with AAP nominee Shazia Ilmi and Raj Babbar of Cong

BJP will field former Army chief V K Singh from the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency, party sources said today.

A formal announcement on General (Retd) Singh's candidature is likely to come in the next two to three days, the sources said.

BJP had two days ago offered the former Army chief, who has recently joined the saffron outfit, to contest the upcoming elections from Ghaziabad, after the sitting MP and party president Rajnath Singh was nominated from Lucknow.

"On this offer, Singh had asked for two days to reach any conclusion. Today, Singh accepted the party's offer and he would now contest from the Ghaziabad seat," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

The sources said Muzaffarnagar riots-accused BJP leader Sangeet Som's name was also considered for the seat, but it was later dropped.

General (Retd) Singh will now have a face-off with Aam Aadmi Party nominee Shazia Ilmi and Raj Babbar of Congress.

Yesterday, the former Army chief had to face the heat from a section of BJP workers when he visited Ghaziabad.

Around half-an-hour after he reached the party's office in Ghaziabad yesterday evening, some workers started raising slogans against him. There was also heated arguments between supporters of the former Army chief and his "rivals".

Asked about his candidature, General (Retd) Singh had said, "I will contest elections from wherever the party would ask me to.