Rajesh Khanna not to contest from Kannauj

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN 31. Despite vigorous efforts by senior Congress(I) leaders, the film star and former MP, Mr. Rajesh Khanna, is learnt to have refused to contest the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections. As a last resort, the party has fielded Mr. Satyadev Tripathi.

Nominations for the February 17 by-elections closed this afternoon, but there was confusion at the AICC headquarters even two hours later as to who the party candidate was. Neither the AICC spokesman, Mr. Ajit Jogi, nor the Congress (I) Legislature Party leader in Lucknow, Mr. Pramod Tiwari, was sure whether it was Mr. Khanna or Mr. Tripathi.

Reliable party sources said the UPCC president, Mr. Salman Khursheed, had left for Mumbai yesterday to persuade Mr. Khanna to file his papers. Mr. Khursheed was quoted by some papers as having said that Mr. Khanna would be the Congress(I) candidate and that he would put up a good fight to the Samajwadi Party nominee, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, and the BSP candidate, Mr. Akbar Ahmed Dumpy.

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Section  : Regional
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