PremiumThe AAP nominees for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab included former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, party leader Raghav Chadha, LPU founder Ashok Mittal, IIT Delhi professor Sandeep Pathak and industrialist Sanjeev Arora for the March 31 elections
In another big boost to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unit in Punjab, all its five nominees for the Rajya Sabha have been elected unopposed from the state. The AAP nominees for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab included former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, party leader Raghav Chadha, Lovely Professional University founder Ashok Mittal, IIT Delhi professor Sandeep Pathak and industrialist Sanjeev Arora for the March 31 elections.
Returning Officer Surinder Pal said Thursday was the last day for the withdrawal of candidature, and that all five AAP nominees were elected unopposed. The tenure of five Rajya Sabha members from Punjab -- Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD), Naresh Gujral (SAD), Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress), Shamsher Singh Dullo (Congress) and Shwait Malik (BJP) -- will expire on April 9.
Who are AAP's RS nominees:-
Harbhajan Singh: Former Indian cricket team spinner, Harbhajan hails from Jalandhar. He also captained Mumbai Indians and Kings Xl Punjab in the Indian Premier Leagues.
Ashok Mittal: Mittal is the founder of Phagwara-based Lovely Professional University (LPU). LPU is the first private university in Punjab and one of the largest in India.
Raghav Chadha: AAP's co-incharge of Punjab affairs. Chadha has been credited with helping the party secure victory in the state Assembly polls.
Sandeep Pathak: Pathak is an associate professor at IIT-Delhi. He has been credited for strategising the AAP's victory in Punjab. He did his PhD from Cambridge University of UK.
Sanjeev Arora: Arora is a Ludhiana businessman. He runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust and also founded it after his parents lost their lives to cancer. Over 160 patients have been treated at his trust for free.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a landslide victory in the Punjab polls winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress had won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly. Bhagwant Mann from Aam Aadmi Party became the first Chief Minister of Punjab to be sworn from a non-Congress and non-Congress party on March 16.
With PTI inputs
Download the App to get 14 days of unlimited access to Mint Premium absolutely free!