BJP fields Kuldeep Bishnoi's son Bhavya from family bastion

Chandigarh: The BJP on Saturday announced party leader Kuldeep Bishnoi's son Bhavya as its candidate for the next month's assembly bypoll from Adampur, considered a family pocket borough.

The bypoll was necessitated after Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as a Congress MLA in August and quit the party along with his son. Both later joined the BJP.

The bypoll will be a litmus test for Kuldeep Bishnoi, the younger son of former chief minister the late Bhajan Lal, as the seat has been a family stronghold for the past five decades.

"Heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership of the party for making Bhavya Bishnoi the candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party in the Adampur by-election," Kuldeep Bishnoi tweeted in Hindi soon after his son's name was announced.

The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Satender Singh, who was earlier with the BJP. The Congress is yet to name a candidate.

Kuldeep Bishnoi said the people of Adampur will vote for the BJP candidate and further strengthen the bond that his family has with the people of the constituency over generations.

Bhavya Bishnoi thanked the party leadership for reposing faith in him. He said he will try his best to live up to the expectation of people and his party.

He described the people of Adampur as his family. "I am sure Adampur will win this time as usual".

After joining the BJP, Bishnoi had made it amply clear he wanted his son to be fielded in the bypoll.

On Thursday, he had said the people of Adampur want his son to contest the bypoll and that he has conveyed the sentiment to the party. Bhavya had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Hisar. The bypolls will be held on November 3 and the counting of votes will take place on November 6.