New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Padma Shri Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and Padma Shri Vikramjit Singh Sahni as members of the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. The biennial elections to 57 seats of the Rajya Sabha spread across 15 states will be held on June 10.
The AAP presently has eight seats in the Upper House and the party has nominated two more candidates to take its tally to 10.
This comes as the term of Rajya Sabha members from Punjab Ambika Soni (Congress) and Balwinder Singh Bhunder (Shiromani Akali Dal) is due to expire on July 4.
Who is Balbir Singh Seechewal?
Seechewal, who spearheaded an anti-river pollution campaign in Punjab, is popularly known as “Eco-Baba”.
Seechewal, an environment activist, is credited with cleaning of 160-km long Kali Bein rivulet in Sultanpur Lodhi.
He single-handedly cleaned and restored Kali Bein river, a 160 km long tributary of Beas in Doaba region of Punjab.
Seechewal, born in a farmer’s family in Jalandhar, started the water-cleaning project of Kali Bein earlier in 2007.
Seechewal, who has been running a campaign for many years to stop the increasing pollution in the rivers, was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2017 for his immense contribution.
Who is Vikramjit Singh Sahni?
Sahni has made important contribution in the field of education. He has been associated with social welfare works for years.
He has also been conferred with International Peace Award by former Mauritius president Anerood Jugnauth.
Sahni, the international president of the World Punjabi Organisation, has promoted Punjabi culture across the globe. He has contributed significantly in increasing the social, economic and cultural relations of Punjab in more than 22 countries.
He has organized many programmes like ‘Bole So Nihal’, ‘Guru Manyo Granth’ and ‘Sarbansdani’.
Sahni also ensured scholarships for thousands of students from Punjab.
Besides, he took the responsibility of rehabilitating over 500 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs.
Sahni also ensured to help the villagers of Punjab during the Covid-19 pandemic and it was due to his efforts that mobile testing clinics, ambulances and over 2,000 oxygen cylinders were available in the villages of the state.