Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to field former Punjab governor B.K.N. Chhibber as its candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, making him stand against ex-cricketer and current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP  Navjot Singh Sidhu. The BSP National General Secretary, Narender Kashyap said that BSP will compete for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

 

Punjab — with 29 percent Dalit population — is the home state of BSP’s late founder Kanshi Ram. Kashyap further told the media, “The BSP is representing every section of society and is committed to providing a better alternative to people of Punjab." Ex-governor Chhibber, who represents the Brahmin community, has joined the BSP recently.

 

The BSP has decided the candidates from 12 seats, with the exception of Gurdaspur constituency where a Rajput candidate will be considered. The candidates are from different communities like Sikh, Gujjar, Brahmin and backward class. Denying any tie up with the Congress and BJP, Kashyap said, "People of our country want Mayawati to become the next prime minister. We are sure to give the Congress and BJP a tough contest in the forthcoming elections.”