BJP fields singer Hans Raj Hans from North West Delhi, no ticket for sitting MP Udit Raj

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@ANI

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday replaced sitting MP Udit Raj and gave a ticket to singer Hans Raj Hans from the North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency.

#LokSabhaElections2019 : Singer Hans Raj Hans to contest from North West Delhi constituency on a BJP ticket. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/cEtsaGp9Eo

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019

With this, the BJP has named its candidate for all the seven Lok Sabha seats. 

Hans Raj Hans joined BJP in 2016 after quitting Congress. Prior to that, he was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab. He is a popular folk and Sufi singer and has several Hindi songs from Bollywood to his name. 

Meanwhile, earlier today, Udit Raj had threatened to quit the party if denied a ticket and also said that he would file the nomination as an independent candidate. He later removed the prefix 'chowkidar' from his Twitter account too.

I am waiting for ticket if not given to me I will do good bye to party — Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 23, 2019

मेरे टिकट का नाम देरी होने पर पूरे देश में मेरे दलित समर्थकों में रोष है और जब मेरी बात पार्टी नहीं सुन रही तो आम दलित कैसे इंसाफ पायेगा। — Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 23, 2019

I still hopeful that I will file nomination from my constituency and BJP where I have worked hard and proved my metal.

I hope I will not be forced to leave BJP by BJP itself — Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 23, 2019

"I am the best performer of the party among its Delhi MPs. Also, I am the only Dalit leader of the BJP who is known across the country. I don't know why I am being treated like this," he was quoted by PTI as saying. 

The BJP leader told the reporters that he spoke to several senior leaders about his Lok Sabha ticket but was asked to wait. He also claimed that he tried to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and but could not do so despite multiple efforts.

Last night, Raj, accompanied by his supporters, reached the Delhi BJP office after reports said that the party might field Hans Raj Hans from North West Delhi surfaced.

"I am a disciplined BJP member, I am just asking for what is due to me," he said demanding the party ticket from North West Delhi.

He had merged his Indian Justice Party (IJP) with the BJP and contested the Lok Sabha election from North-West Delhi in 2014.

BJP has fielded former cricketer Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi, Meenakshi Lekhi from New Delhi, Dr Harsh Vardhan from Chandni Chowk, Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi, Pravesh Verma from West Delhi and Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi.

(With agencies inputs)