BJP drops Kirron Kher from Chandigarh, fields Sanjay Tandon
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Sanjay Tandon as its candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh.
He will take over for two-time MP Kirron Kher, who chose to step down due to health issues.
The disclosure came after the BJP released its 10th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha Election 2024.
The list has nine names, including SS Ahluwalia, who will replace Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh from Asansol.
Candidate's response
Tandon expresses gratitude
Following the release of the list, Tandon expressed his gratitude to the BJP leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility of contesting from Chandigarh.
Other names on the list include Neeraj Shekhar, son of former PM Chandrashekhar, from Ballia; Parasnath Rai from Ghazipur; Jaiveer Singh from Mainpuri; Vinod Sonkar from Kaushambi; Praveen Patel from Phulpur; Neeraj Tripathi from Allahabad; and BP Saroj from Machhlishahr.
Candidate's commitment
Who is Tandon
Tandon was the Chandigarh BJP chief for nearly a decade from 2010 and is also the co-incharge of the Himachal Pradesh BJP.
He is the son of the late Balramji Das Tandon, a former Chhattisgarh governor and one of the founding members of the Jan Sangh.
Besides his political career, Tandon is a chartered accountant by profession and serves as president of the UT Cricket Association Chandigarh.
History
Congress has won seven of 14 Lok Sabha elections
The Congress has won seven of the 14 Lok Sabha elections held in Chandigarh since 1967, whereas the BJP has won four times.
However, the Congress has yet to declare a candidate for the seat in the 2024 election.
Pawan Kumar Bansal, Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky, and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari are the top contenders for the Congress ticket in Chandigarh.