The auspicious day of Akshay Tritya on Friday witnessed a flood of nominations with a whopping 82 candidates filing their papers for the June 1 elections on the fourth day of the filing of nominations. With May 11 and 12 being the gazetted holidays, only two days are left for filing the nominations — May 13 and 14 (Monday and Tuesday).
The self-styled Khalistan preacher and National Security Act (NSA) detainee Amritpal Singh, currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail, has filed his nomination papers for the Khadoor Sahib constituency as an independent candidate.
The day saw several stalwarts officially throwing their hats in the electoral ring. In Jalandhar, candidates of prominent parties — former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Congress; Sushil Kumar Rinku from Bharatiya Janata Party; and Mohinder Singh Kaypee from Shiromani Akali Dal — filed their papers among a total six candidates.
Other prominent leaders to file their nominations on Friday include former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and BJP’s Dinesh Singh Babbu from Gurdaspur; BJP’s Taranjit Singh Sandhu and SAD’s Anil Joshi from Amritsar; Congress’ Yamani Gomar and AAP’s Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur; SAD’s former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and AAP’s Malvinder Singh Kang from Anandpur Sahib; sitting MP and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana; former MLA and AAP’s Gurpreet Singh GP from Fatehgarh Sahib; Cabinet Minister and AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Congress’ former MLA Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu from Bathinda; former MLA and SAD candidate NK Sharma from Patiala, among others.
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C reported that on the fourth day of filing of nominations in Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections-2024, 95 nominations have been filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats.
None candidates have filed 14 nomination papers from Gurdaspur; eight nominations have been filed by six candidates from Amritsar; three candidates filed papers from Khadoor Sahib; six candidates filed nominations from Jalandhar; five candidates filed seven nominations from Hoshiarpur; nine nominations have been filed by seven candidates from Anandpur Sahib; 12 candidates filed nominations from Ludhiana; eight nominations have been filed by six candidates from Fatehgarh Sahib; eight candidates filed nominations from Faridkot; seven candidates filed nominations from Bathinda; four candidates filed nominations from Sangrur; five candidates from Patiala; and four from Ferozepur.
“Due to gazetted holidays on May 11 and 12, no nomination papers can be filed on these days. Notably, from May 7 to May 10, 163 nomination papers have been filed by 143 candidates,” he added.
Amritpal files nominations from Dibrugarh jail
Punjab Government has facilitated ‘Waris Punjab De’ head Amritpal Singh, currently detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail, to file his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib.
The development came after Amritpal had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday seeking temporary release to file his nomination to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
As per the affidavit and information submitted by the state of Punjab before the Bench, two sets of nomination forms and other paperwork were filled in and signed by Amritpal Singh on May 9. He was also allowed to meet his proposer and advocate at Dibrugarh Central Jail.
“The Superintendent Central Jail Dibrugarh will administer the oath to the detenue as per the provisions of law including Handbook for Candidate, 2023 and issue Certificate for Receipt of Oath and send original form of Oath to Returning Officer, 03- Khadoor Sahab, (Punjab). The oath will be administered as and when a request is made by the detenue after his nomination form is submitted before the Returning Officer,” read the affidavit.
