The BJP surprised many factions within the Chandigarh BJP by announcing Sanjay Tandon as its candidate for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, replacing two-time sitting Member of Parliament Kirron Kher.
This decision caught various factions off guard, as there were efforts to push for a “local candidate” within the party. Names like Sanjay Tandon and former president Arun Sood were being considered, with some factions expressing opposition to Tandon’s candidacy. Interestingly, Kirron Kher’s name was not even proposed by the local committee.
Tandon had been vying for a ticket for a considerable period, but due to internal divisions, the BJP opted for Kirron Kher, a parachute candidate, in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Despite Kher’s claims of being a resident of Chandigarh, she faced criticism from within the party, being labelled an “outsider”.
In the 2014 general election, Kher secured victory with 1.91 lakh votes, defeating Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, who received 1.21 lakh votes. AAP candidate Gul Panag also garnered significant support with 1.08 lakh votes in Chandigarh.
In 2019, Kirron Kher was once again nominated by the BJP and emerged victorious with 2.31 lakh votes, while Bansal received 1.84 lakh votes. The Aam Aadmi Party’s vote share decreased notably in 2019, receiving only 3% of the total votes, with Harmohan Dhawan receiving 13,781 votes.
Before 2014, Pawan Bansal represented Chandigarh in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms.
