Turncoats Kiran Choudhry, Kuldeep Bishnoi vie for RS nomination

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, June 24

The two-year remaining term of the Rajya Sabha seat, which falls vacant in the wake of election of Deepender Hooda to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak, has set off a race of sorts among Congress turncoats, who joined the BJP recently.

The Election Commission is likely to notify the schedule of election for the vacant seat shortly. Among the aspirants are Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry and former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi. Congress turncoat from neighbouring Punjab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, could also be the surprise pick as he has been inducted as minister of state in the third term of Narendra Modi, though he lost the election from Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha poll.

BJP insiders said at present, Choudhry seemed to be the front runner as she switched over to the BJP on June 19, along with her daughter Shruti, in the presence of former CM Manohar Lal Khattar in Delhi.

Party sources said with Khattar backing her, she had a good chance of nomination as BJP candidate. “Khattar wields considerable influence. She reportedly joined the BJP at his insistence,” said a source.

On the other hand, Bishnoi, whose son Bhavya is BJP MLA from the Adampur Assembly constituency in Hisar, is also lobbying for RS nomination. Bishnoi joined the BJP in August 2022, soon after he cross voted to ensure the victory of BJP-supported Rajya Sabha candidate Kartikeya Sharma in June 2022. “Though the BJP gave ticket to his son from Adampur in the byelection in 2022, he is seeking more from the BJP. He was also expecting the Lok Sabha ticket from Hisar constituency. His son, too, expected a ministerial berth,” said a supporter, adding that BJP’s neglect of Bishnoi was the reason behind the trailing of BJP candidate Ranjit Singh from Adampur in the recent Lok Sabha poll.

Bishnoi has been calling on the top leadership of the BJP, including party president JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Khattar and Haryana incharge Dharmender Pradhan, in Delhi.