THE YOUNG GUN
As many as 324 candidates between the age group of 25 and 40 years are contesting polls this time. Congress’ Davinder Singh Ghubaya, son of SAD MP from Ferozepur Sher Singh Ghubaya, is youngest of all.
At 25, Ghubaya is making his political debut from Fazilka. “My father has done a lot of work here… Sukhbir has tried to hurt us…I will take my father’s revenge,” said the young gun.
OlDEST THE MOST EXPERIENCED
He is standing all alone in the highest age-group of 81-100 years — Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. 89-year-old is the oldest contesting candidate with the cosmic experience.
WOMEN POWER
With all political parties promising 33 percent reservation, they failed in their first step. Just seven percent of the contesting candidates, 81 out of 1145 total candidates, are women. Their number is miniscule against their male counterparts, which is 1063.
Congress’ 28-year-old Sunam candidate Daman Thind Bajwa, a first timer, is the youngest, with SAD’s Sultanpur lodhi candidate and former state Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur, 77-year-old, is the oldest.
THE THIRD GENDER
The name of 48-year-old Mumtaz, BSP candidate from Bucho Mandi, will be written in the Punjab’s political history — she will be the first one to contest under “other” gender category. “I joined politics because I want to serve and help people better. I will give them back twice the amount of support they give me,” says Mumtaz, who is into social works.
SlAPSTICK COMEDIANS
For them, 2017 polls are a challenge, not just laughter. Coming to fame through a TV show laughter Challenge, stand-up comedians Bhagwant Mann and Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi has taken politics quite seriously. While Mann became Sangrur MP by winning with the highest margin, Ghuggi is heading AAP’s Punjab unit.
CROONING TO GlORY
Punjab polls this time would witness renowned Punjabi folk singer Mohd Sadique, and female Punjabi singer Satinder Bitti trying their luck, both as Congress nominee.
BABUS TO NETA
Former IAS officers TPS Sidhu, Kuldeep Singh Vaid, SR Kler, DS Guru are all set to start their political inning after serving at various positions in the administration. SAD has fielded Sidhu from Mohali where he has served as Deputy Commissioner for about three years. Vaid was serving as Moga DC before the Congress fielded him from Gill.
Former IAS officer and MlA from Jagraon SR Kaler has been nominated from Nihal Singh Wala by the Akalis, while Guru, who had remained as Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, has been given ticket from Bassi Pathana after unsuccessfully contesting from Bhadaur in 2012.
SOlDIERS TOO BATTlING IT OUT
While the two army men — Capt Amarinder Singh and former Army chief Gen JJ Singh would battle it out in Patiala, IAS Officer TPS Sidhu too boasts of his army background, and name himself as Capt TPS Sidhu.
AAP has also nominated a Shaurya Chakra awardee Capt Bikramjit Singh Pahuwindia from Khemkaran seat. From Balachaur seat, it has fielded Brigadier (Retd) Raj Kumar, and a commercial pilot Capt Gurbinder Singh Kang from Baghapuarna.
PlAYERS
Other than former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu and Olympian hockey player Pargat Singh, who have already taken an electoral plunge, Arjuna awardees Kartar Singh and Sajjan Singh Cheema were also testing themselves in political waters.
RICHEST
428 candidates, that is 37 percent, are crorepatis in fray. Maximum 87 in SAD’s 94 candidates, that is 93 percent, followed by 103 out of 117 (88 percent) by Congress, 20 (87 percent) out of 23 candidates by BJP, 71 (63 percent) out of 112 candidates from AAP. Congress’ Rana Gurjit Singh is the richest with Rs 169 crores assets, followed by liquor baron Shiv lal Doda, who filed nomination as an independent from Abohar but later withdrew in favour of SAD-BJP combine candidate. On third spot is Congress’ Karan Kaur Brar with Rs 119 crore assets.
POOREST
Seven candidates have declared zero assets in their self-sworn affidavits. Besides, those having lowest assets are Satish Kumar Nahar, a Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party candidate contesting from Kapurthala, who owns assets worth Rs 2,000. Following him are two independents — Tarsem Singh (Rs 2,400) and Alwinder Singh (Rs 5,500) — who are contesting from Sanaour and Muktsar respectively.
HIGHEST EARNERS
In all, 13 candidates have declared their total annual income of more than Rs one crore. Topping the charts is cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Singh with earning annual of Rs 9.66 crore. On the second spot is liquor baron Shiv lal Doda, who is currently lodged in jail in relation to a murder case, with Rs four crore annual income, followed by AAP’s Aman Arora with `1.50 crore earning every year.
MOST EDUCATED
Out of 1045 candidates, 117 are post-graduate and six with doctorate degree including one in Congress, and two in SAD.
IllITERATE
Out of total 41 illiterates, there’s none in AAP, Congress, SAD, and the BJP. However, there are 55 candidates who are not even Class V pass, including
Criminal cases
Out of 1145 candidates, 100 candidates, nine percent, have declared criminal cases against them. Among them 77, that is seven percent, have declared serious criminal cases against them.
Four candidates facing cases related to murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, including Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shiv lal Doda and his nephew Amit Doda. Besides, Patiala Rural’s independent candidate Jasbir Singh is also facing murder charges.
Eleven candidates have cases related to attempt to murder—Section 307 of IPC. They include lIP’s Simarjeet Singh Bains, Congress’ Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Kamal Jit Singh Karwal, SAD’s Vir Singh, among others.
Five candidates have declared cases related to crimes against Women.