Kejriwal Says 'Not Going To RS' After AAP's Sanjeev Arora Wins Ludhiana West Assembly Bypoll
During the campaign, Kejriwal announced that Sanjeev Arora would be inducted into the Cabinet of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann if he won the bypoll.
New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI) Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he would not go to the Rajya Sabha after the party's sitting Upper House member Sanjeev Arora won the Ludhiana West bypolls in Punjab.
Arora will have to resign from the Rajya Sabha. During the campaign, Kejriwal announced that Arora would be inducted into the Cabinet of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann if he won the bypoll.
At a press conference on Monday, Kejriwal was asked whom the party will nominate in Arora's place. In a lighter vein, he replied, "Many times I have been sent to the Rajya Sabha." The AAP chief said the party's political affairs committee would decide whom to nominate but he is not going to the Upper House.
After Arora's name was announced as the AAP candidate for the Ludhiana West bypoll, the opposition had been claiming that Kejriwal would enter the Rajya Sabha in Arora's place.
The names of senior leaders of the party -- Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain -- are doing the rounds as probable candidates for Arora's replacement.
Sisodia was made the in-charge of Punjab in place of Jarnail Singh after the Delhi poll debacle while Jain was named as co-incharge of the state. The former Delhi deputy chief minister and Jain are trusted lieutenants of Kejriwal who have stood with him through thick and thin.
Sisodia has been spending most of his time in Punjab. He is likely to lead a victory march in Ludhiana West on Tuesday along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
However, a party functionary remarked it was too early to say that Sisodia would be the party's pick for the Upper House.
"The party is currently focussing on bringing reforms in the state. Education is one of the key areas where the party wants to work. We do not know when the Rajya Sabha polls will be held. It is too early to decide on any name," said the functionary.
Another functionary said the party could also nominate a Punjab leader to the Rajya Sabha.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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