Guwahati: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated former cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its Rajya Sabha candidate from Punjab, said sources on Monday.
Apart from Harbhajan Singh, the AAP has also nominated Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Raghav Chadha and IIT professor Dr Sandeep Pathak for the Upper House of Parliament.
Five Rajya Sabha seats in Punjab will fall vacant next month and today is the last day to file nomination.
Harbhajan, who has taken over 700 wickets in an international career spanning over 18 years, recently retired from the active sport.
Just before announcing his retirement, the 41-year-old had gone to meet former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and the picture of the two on Twitter had led to speculations of him joining Congress.
However, he had categorically denied any inclination of joining the Congress party. Harbhajan has been associated with many philanthropic projects and social work in Punjab.
For the AAP, it is the party’s maiden victory in Punjab, where it has won 92 of the 117 Assembly constituencies Five Rajya Sabha seats from the seat will fall vacant next month and the Election Commission has already announced the dates for the biennial elections to the Upper House of Parliament. If needed the voting will take place on March 31.
AAP strength in the Rajya Sabha is expected to rise from 3 to 8 after the Rajya Sabha polls. The party is expected to soon announce names for the seats.
