Punjab elections: BJP fields retd IAS officer Jagmohan Raju to take on Sidhu in Amritsar

In a key development on Thursday, BJP fielded retired IAS officer Jagmohan Singh Raju from Amritsar East against Navjot Singh Sidhu in the Punjab elections. Serving as the Chief Resident Commissioner of Tamil Nadu House in the national capital, Raju sought voluntary retirement from the IAS on January 25. As per reports, the MK Stalin-led government permitted the request of the IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre with effect from Thursday. 

His letter to TN CM MK Stalin read, "Of late, the painful conditions in my home state, Punjab, have been weighing heavy on my conscience. As son of the soil, I am agonised at the lingering socio-economic stress and the sufferings of the unheard, youth and the underprivileged. At the same time, restraints of my service rules confine me from acting in solidarity with the causes espoused by my inner voice. My conscience and deep-rooted love for my home state has therefore been cajoling and nudging me to quit my service, return to Punjab and dedicate myself full-time in its service for the rest of my life."

Amritsar East is perceived as a stronghold of the Punjab Congress president who defeated his nearest opponent- BJP's Rakesh Kumar Honey from here in the previous Assembly election with a margin of 42,809 votes. In the 2012 Assembly polls, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had secured victory in this constituency on a BJP ticket. Already, Shiromani Akali Dal has nominated its general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia from Amritsar East vowing to defeat Sidhu. 

Political scenario in Punjab

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, Congress won a whopping 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats and failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. Despite winning a huge mandate, infighting erupted in the Congress camp after Sidhu started attacking the then CM Amarinder Singh over the purported delayed justice in the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and the drug cases.

The situation escalated on September 18, 2021, after Congress summoned a Legislative Party meeting without keeping the Punjab CM in the loop. Amid growing speculation that Singh will be ousted, the latter tendered his resignation to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit at about 4.30 pm on the same day owing to "humiliation". However, Charanjit Singh Channi pipped Sidhu to the CM's post on September 20. As the infighting in the party has persisted, speculation is rife that AAP's prospects will improve this time. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20 whereas the counting of votes shall take place on March 10.