In a significant development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Sanjay Tandon, the former chief of the party’s Chandigarh unit, as its candidate from the Union Territory. This decision marks the sidelining of the sitting Member of Parliament and renowned actor Kirron Kher from the electoral race.
Kirron Kher had been the preferred candidate for the party in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, securing victory on both occasions. However, the BJP has now opted for a change, with Sanjay Tandon stepping into the fray.
Tandon, who also serves as the co-in charge of the Himachal Pradesh BJP, boasts a lengthy tenure as the president of the city party, spanning nearly a decade.
The decision to nominate Tandon came after deliberations within the city party unit, which had proposed the names of former MP Satya Pal Jain, along with ex-party presidents Sanjay Tandon and Arun Sood, to the party’s high command for consideration.
The selection process gained momentum following individual meetings conducted by Manthri Srinivasulu, the general secretary (organisation) for Punjab and Chandigarh, who sought feedback from local leaders and councillors regarding their preferred candidate for the upcoming elections.