BJP's SS Ahluwalia to challenge TMC's Shatrughan Sinha from Asansol Lok Sabha seat

Asansol: The BJP on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Union minister SS Ahluwalia from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

Ahluwalia would take on TMC's heavyweight candidate and the party's star face, Shatrughan Sinha, in Asansol, an industrial hub encapsulating the state's coal belt.

The BJP had previously replaced Ahluwalia, the party's sitting MP from the Burdwan-Durgapur seat, with former state president Dilip Ghosh as candidate for the constituency.

Ghosh was, in turn, moved from his erstwhile winning seat Medinipur to fight for his prospects in Ahluwalia's turf.

Although the BJP had initially announced the name of Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh as its candidate from Asansol, the seat remained unrepresented from the party till now following Singh's refusal to contest from the constituency.