AAP's LS candidate Savita Bhatti opts out of race

The Aam Aadmi Party's candidate Savita Bhatti on Sunday opted out of Lok Sabha polls from the lone Chandigarh parliamentary seat. Savita, widow of comedian and satirist Jaspal Bhatti shot off an e-mail to the AAP office in Delhi mentioning that she is "not interested" in contesting the general elections.

She refused to give out details for her decision. However, party sources said that she was unhappy as she was not getting much support from the AAP activists at local level after her candidature was announced.

Savita, 52, had launched her campaign last Sunday where certain local AAP leaders maintained distance from her. AAP spokesman Rajeev Godara and Bhatti could not be reached for comment.

Savita, who was named AAP's candidate for Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, had said that fight the against corruption and other problems faced by the common man are going to be on her priority list in the run up to the polls.

A noted TV and films personality, Savita was the second woman candidate after BSP's Jannat Jahan to be declared by their respective political outfits.

Two main parties -- the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are yet to announce their candidate for the Chandigarh seat, which is at present represented by Congress' Pawan Kumar Bansal.

Jaspal Bhatti, known for his comic and satirical street shows on social issues, died in a car accident in October 2012.