The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to nominate former cricketer Harbhajan Singh to Rajya Sabha in the biennial elections from Punjab. Sources said that the newly-elected AAP government in the state may also give command of sports university to the former India off-spinner.
AAP, after sweeping the polls in Punjab, formed the new government with Bhagwant Mann being sworn in as the Chief Minister on Wednesday. AAP has promised to set up a sports university in Jalandhar.
Sources said that the top leadership of AAP, including the new CM, has approached Harbhajan, 41, with an offer to become their nominated candidate for the next Rajya Sabha term.
The new CM wants Harbhajan to work towards lifting the standard of sports in the state, which has gone down considerably in past few years. Harbhajan has been associated with many philanthropic projects and social work in Punjab.
Harbhajan, who has taken over 700 wickets in an international career spanning over 18 years, recently retired from the active sport.
Sources said that Harbhajan who always had interested in working for people and especially for the benefit and betterment of sportspersons shares a cordial relationship with Bhagwant Mann. It is most likely that he accept the responsibility.
Just before announcing his retirement, Harbhajan had met Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and the picture of the two on Twitter had led to speculations of him joining Congress. Sindhu resigned from the post following the party's debacle in the polls.
With a landslide victory in Punjab under its belt, the AAP is set to make big inroads in Rajya Sabha. Elections have been announced to five Rajya Sabha seats in Punjab and the AAP might bag all of them, taking its total in the Upper House to eight. The AAP already has three members - all from Delhi - in Rajya Sabha.
The party now stands to gain in Punjab as two different elections will be held for the five Rajya Sabha seats - one for three seats and another for the remaining two. Among the retiring members from Punjab are Partap Singh Bajwa and Samsher Singh Dullo (both Congress), Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Naresh Gujral (both Akali Dal) and Shwait Malik (BJP). Two more members - Balwinder Singh Bhunder (Akali Dal) and Ambika Soni (Congress) - from the state will complete their tenure in July and the AAP may bag both.
READ MORE: AAP leader Bhagwant Mann takes oath as Chief Minister of Punjab
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