Harbhajan, Raghav Chadha feature among AAP's probable Rajya Sabha list

With the Rajya Sabha elections knocking at the door, leaders within AAP have started throwing in their weight trying to secure candidatures. According to sources, names of former cricketer Harbhajan Singh and AAP MLA Raghav Chadha feature prominently in the list.

Chandigarh:As the last date for nomination filing for Rajya Sabha polls in Punjab inch closer, competition is intensifying among Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Karuna Raju, on March 13, said that the last date for filing nominations was on March 21. As the elections draw close, so does the tussle between candidates on who can lay claim to AAP's representation in the Upper House.

Three names, at the moment, are making rounds among the party ranks who seem to be strong contenders in the polls: Harbhajan Singh, Raghav Chadha, and Sandeep Pathak.

Singh, after his retirement from cricket, has been increasingly been in discussion when it came to joining active politics. Right before the Punjab assembly elections, speculations about Singh joining the BJP were rife. This, however, did not materialize and now the Jalandhar native can prove to be one of AAP's major faces in the Rajya Sabha.

Chadha, on the other hand, played a crucial role in securing Punjab for AAP. An MLA and Deputy Chairman of the Delhi Water Board, Chadha's equations with both Kejriwal and newly-elected Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann seem to be quite cohesive.

Another name that can make it to the RS from Delhi is that of IIT Professor Sandeep Pathak. The party, as per information, wants to bring in both sportspersons and academic faces to the center-stage.

Former Punjab Tourism Minister Jagmohan Singh Kang has also asserted his claim for Rajya Sabha membership. Kang has said that he has a long political experience, and therefore should be sent to Rajya Sabha. Kang has previously been a Congress MLA from Kharar constituency but made the shift to AAP this time after being rejected a Congress ticket and joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

It is not easy for the Aam Aadmi Party to select five candidates. Sources said that the party is still struggling to form a cabinet, and now with Rajya Sabha elections have come. The party has received a huge response from Punjab and wishes to make full use, going at full force at all five seats.