Pb bypoll: BJP fields Rajesh Bagha in Phagwara, Jangi Lal Mahajan in Mukerian

The BJP on Sunday named Rajesh Bagha and Jangi Lal Mahajan as its candidates for bypolls to Punjab's Phagwara and Mukerian Assembly seats respectively.

Bagha, who is also the vice president of the BJP's Punjab unit, will contest assembly elections for the first time. He had been the chairman of Punjab Scheduled Castes Commission from 2011 till 2017 and the president of the state BJP's SC Morcha.

According to sources, BJP leader and Union minister Som Parkash was seeking ticket for his wife, while former Union minister Vijay Sampla wanted his son to be fielded from the seat.

The seat fell vacant after Parkash resigned from the Assembly following his election to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur constituency this year. The Congress has fielded ex-IAS officer Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal from the Assembly seat.

"Development of Phagwara constituency will be my top priority. I will take forward the development works carried out by Som Parkash ji in this constituency," Bagha said on Sunday.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Som Parkash had secured a lead of 5,146 votes from Phagwara assembly segment, which is part of Hoshiarpur Parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate for Mukerian Jangi Lal Mahajan, who had unsuccessfully contested 2017 Assembly polls as Independent, exuded confidence that he would win the by-poll by a margin of over 50,000 votes.

Bypoll to this seat was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA Rajnish Kumar Babbi last month. The ruling Congress has fielded Indu Bala, the wife of Babbi, in the Mukerian seat.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had got a lead of 37,706 votes from Mukerian assembly segment, which is part of Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat.

Bypolls in Phagwara, Jalalabad, Dakha and Mukerian Assembly seats will be held on October 21 and the results will be declared on October 24. Of the four seats, the SAD is contesting on Jalalabad and Dakha seats, while its ally the BJP is contesting in Phagwara and Mukerian seats.