AAP announces former armyman as candidate
FIRST OFF THE MARK Maj Gen Suresh Khajuria (retd) hails from Pathankot’s Bungal village
JALANDHAR : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced 64-year-old Maj Gen Suresh Khajuria (retd) as its candidate from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, where a bypoll is scheduled on October 11. The AAP has become the first major party to announce its candidate for the poll that was necessitated by the death of actor and BJP leader Vinod Khanna, who was the sitting MP.
Khajuria, who hails from Bungal village in Pathankot, has served two tenures as Brigade and Division Commander in Punjab during his four decades of service.
The decision to field Khajuria was taken after consultations with the Gurdaspur unit of the party and the Majha region leaders and volunteers, AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira told a press conference in Jalandhar. The results will be declared on October 15.
Khaira, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab assembly, said that Khajuria is an old party volunteer and was a resident of Pathankot, falling within the Gurdaspur seat.
Khaira, who was flanked by Khajuria and AAP state unit chief Bhagwant Mann, said that while the Congress and the BJP were planning to bring in “parachute” candidates, his party has fielded a local candidate with a clean image.
“We are proud to state that our candidate has a distinguished career in the armed forces by serving the country. Now, Khajuria will serve the people of the country again by winning this bypoll,” Khaira said.
Data show that of 14 lakh voters in the constituency, approximately 1 lakh (8%) are ex-servicemen.
“I will contest this poll and register a comfortable win. Our fight is against the Congress and the BJP governments who have failed to fulfil their poll promises,” he said.
Khajuria joined the Indian Army in 1973 and retired in 2011. He completed his graduation from the SD College in Pathankot.
He added that AAP had appealed to the ex-servicemen of the region to support him as neither the Congress nor the BJP has fulfilled the long-pending demand of ‘One Rank-one Pension’ of ex-servicemen.
Sangrur MP Mann said, “Instead of fulfilling his promises, Capt Amarinder has not even crossed the boundaries of Chandigarh for six times in six months. Farm suicides have also increased under this government.”