Punjab Congress’ second list of candidates is expected this week as the party is said to have finalised names for 20-plus more seats. So far, the party has announced 61 candidates out of total 117 seats.
Party’s central election committee, headed by national president Sonia Gandhi, had its meeting on Tuesday, in which 20-25 more names were approved. For the remaining seats, the committee will hold its meeting again, the date for which is yet to be finalised.
State party chief Capt Amarinder Singh also maintained that the party had finalised another set of 20-21 names in the allocation of tickets.
Sources maintained that the party, this time again, has put on hold its decision on the debated seats, including Sanaur and Samana, besides the one where former Akali MlAs have joined the Congress and there are chances of rebellion.
Declaration is expected by this week, a senior Congress leader told The Pioneer.
It has been learnt that the party has cleared the candidature of its sitting MlAs Jagmohan Singh Kang from Kharar, Karan Kaur Brar from Muktsar, and Indian Youth Congress president Raja Amrinder Singh Warring from Gidderbaha.
While Kang was not too sure of getting the party ticket this time and was said to be prepared to shift loyalties, Warring, on the other hand, has been seeking shifting him to Muktsar.
SITTING MlAS NOT MEETING WINNABIlITY CRITERIA TO BE DROPPED
Capt Amarinder on Wednesday made it clear that the sitting Congress MlAs, not meeting the “winnability” criteria, would be dropped from the Congress’ list for the 2017 polls.
“Winnability would be the only criteria in nominating the remaining candidates for the party in the upcoming Assembly polls,” said Capt Amarinder while clarifying that no compromise would be allowed on this count.
ONE-FAMIlY, ONE-TICKET RUlE APPlIES ON SIDHUS TOO
Ruling out the possibility of giving party tickets to both Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur for the state assembly polls, Punjab Congress chief said that the one-family-one-ticket norm will be strictly enforced.
Capt Amarinder, while responding to reports of Sidhu contesting from Amritsar East constituency where his wife is a sitting MlA, said: “It was up to the Sidhu couple to decide who will contest. The party will strictly adhere to one-family- one-ticket norm in all cases.”
CAPT TO MEET SIDHU SOON
A day after the cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu met Congress’ national vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder said that he would meet the former BJP MP soon.
“I will meet Sidhu soon to work out the modalities of his joining the party,” said the former chief minister, while adding that there was no talk in the Congress about offering Deputy Chief Minister’s post to Sidhu. “It’s all media creation,” he said.
While Dr Navjot Kaur joined the Congress last month, Sidhu is yet to join the party. Giving clear indications, Dr Navjot had said that they were two bodies one soul, “how can we live separately”.