New Delhi, Jun 06: Brushing aside reservations from a section of the party, the BJP today nominated eminent lawyer and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani from Rajasthan for the Rajya Sabha elections.
The announcement made by party President Nitin Gadkari triggered protests from some BJP supporters in Rajasthan who felt the seat should not go to an ‘outsider’. The name of Rajasthan BJP president Arun Chaturvedi was doing the rounds for the seat.
87-year-old Jethmalani’s candidature was supported by L K Advani as also Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, party sources said. Jethmalani has advised Advani in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case and Modi on the 2002 Gujarat riots case.
His name was finally cleared by the BJP parliamentary board at its last meeting but an official announcement was made only today.
–Agencies