Chandigarh, April 7: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley Monday filed his nomination papers for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

Jaitley, a senior professional and leader of opposition within the Rajya Sabha, can face former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh within the high-profile contest for the seat.

Sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Amritsar, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, was absent once Jaitley’s filed his papers.

Sidhu was drop by the BJP despite winning the Amritsar seat in 2004, 2007 (by-election) and 2009. He has not been seen in Amritsar ever since Jaitley, his political guru, was announced as the BJP candidate from Amritsar.

The election for thirteen Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be command April 30. The ruling Akali dal and BJP have an alliance government in Punjab since 2007.

Akali dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is the daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, filed her nomination papers Monday from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.

Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Sukhbir Badal, Punjab’s deputy chief minister and Akali dal president, is pitted against Sukhbir’s cousin Manpreet Badal. Manpreet Badal is the joint candidate of the Congress and the party of Punjab.