Punjab RS bypoll: Industrialist Rajinder Gupta files nomination as AAP candidate

Chandigarh, Oct 10 (PTI) Industrialist Rajinder Gupta on Friday filed his nomination papers for the October 24 Rajya Sabha bypoll in Punjab, days after the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced him as its candidate.

The decision to field him was taken by the AAP's political affairs committee and his candidature was announced on Sunday.

Gupta was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP state unit chief Aman Arora when he filed his nomination.

The bypoll is being held to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of AAP's Sanjeev Arora, who stepped down from the Upper House following his election to the state assembly.

Arora, whose term was to end on April 9, 2028, is currently serving as a minister in the Punjab Cabinet.

At present, AAP has six Rajya Sabha members from Punjab -- Balbir Singh Seechewal, Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal and Vikramjit Singh Sahney.

Chairman emeritus of the Trident Group, Gupta had recently resigned as the vice-chairman of the State Economic Policy and Planning Board and as chairperson of the Kali Devi temple advisory committee, which had fuelled speculation that the AAP could field him for the bypoll.

Ludhiana-based Trident Group is a diversified conglomerate involved in manufacturing of textiles, paper and chemicals with its facilities in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.

AAP enjoys an overwhelming majority with 93 members in the 117-member state assembly. With this majority, the AAP will face no problem in sending Gupta to Rajya Sabha.

In June, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal put to rest speculation that he would enter Rajya Sabha from Punjab.

Kejriwal's decision to not throw his hat into the ring came after Arora won the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll.

After Arora's name was announced for the Ludhiana West bypoll, the opposition had claimed that Kejriwal would enter Rajya Sabha in his place.

AAP had retained the Ludhiana West seat with Arora defeating his nearest rival, Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress, by 10,637 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated by the passing of sitting AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.

Gupta, a first-generation entrepreneur, was awarded Padma Shri by the then President A P J Abdul Kalam in 2007 in recognition of his distinguished services in the field of trade and industry.

Nominations for the Rajya Sabha bypoll began on October 6 and the last date for filing nominations is October 13.

The scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 14 while the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is October 16.

Polling and counting will take place on the same day, October 24. PTI SUN SHS ZMN