Ishaan Chabbewal is AAP’s pick for Chabbewal byelection

Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal's son Dr Ishaan Chabbewal has been announced as the AAP candidate for the Chabbewal byelection to be held on November 13.

The Hoshiarpur MP’s son has been fielded from Chabbewal seven months after Raj Kumar quit the Congress to embrace the AAP and four months after he won the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat by a thumping majority of 44,100 votes.

The 30-year old radiologist, Ishaan Chabbewal, has constantly been on his father's side, canvassing for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat, and the recently concluded panchayat elections. A radiologist, he pursued MBBS from Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana.

The family's big wins in Chabbewal have proved a decisive factor for Ishaan bagging a ticket. In the Lok Sabha elections, too, out of over 44,100 margin win in Hoshiarpur Dr Raj Kumar bagged the biggest winning margin in the Chabbewal constituency (27,000 votes). The AAP also won big in Chabbewal in the recently concluded Panchayat poll, with Ishaan's uncle, Dr Jatinder Kumar, won as a sarpanch in the family's ancestral village, Manjhi.

The declaration of Ishaan's candidature comes two days before his 31st birthday (October 22). Twin celebrations marked the Chabbewal household on Sunday.

MP Rajkumar said, “We thank the party for placing its trust in Ishaan. He is a doctor and an educated man, who's been active all round, working very hard in the constituency. The party carried out surveys, in which Ishank emerged as the choice. We are celebrating at home today. The day will also be spent strategising (for the bypoll)."

While Dr Chabbewal's social media profile is flooded with his son at his side in various constituencies and villages, Raj Kumar said, “We won in 95 per cent villages of Chabbewal in the panchayat elections. Of 203 villages in the constituency, 195 to 196 were won by the AAP. In the Lok Sabha elections, among constituencies, we had the biggest victory margin of 27,000 votes in Chabbewal. At present, I don't see any other party posing a significant challenge to us.”

A party worker in Hoshiarpur said, “He is young and energetic. Canvassing for the Lok Sabha elections, he met AAP workers at 7 am and tirelessly went door to door in areas such as Chabbewal, Shri Hargobindpur, Sham Chaurasi and others. He greets workers with much humility and like his father, never gets angry even if someone says something untoward. After the recent panchayat elections were concluded, over 200 sarpanches gathered at Raj Kumar’s house to greet his family. Ishaan had a huge role to play in their victories.”