Congress party’s expected release of candidates’ list for the 2017 Punjab polls on Sunday triggered off a chain reaction, virtually compelling the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to announce candidates.
While Congress has reportedly decided to release the “complete” list of candidates in one go, the SAD on Sunday released its third list of four candidates with AAP declaring five more candidates’ name in its sixth list.
With this, the SAD has declared candidates for 82 seats out of total 94 it would contest in coalition with the BJP, which is yet to announce the names. “The remaining 12 will also be named soon,” said SAD chief and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
AAP, so far, has declared the names of its 98 candidates for elections to 117-member Punjab legislative Assembly, scheduled to be held early next year. At the same time, it has also changed two its candidates — for Nakodar and Balluana.
In contrast, Congress party — which is the main opposition party in the State — is yet to lay its cards on the table. Party’s central election panel held its two-hour long meeting a day before and finalised names for over half of the seats, including the ones that have single contender.
Sources maintained that the party may come up with its list of all candidates together instead of announcing few names now and then rest later. Congress Election Committee is scheduled to hold its second meeting on December 8, following which the names will be announced.
SAD ANNOUNCES FOUR MORE CANDIDATES
The ruing Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday released its third list of four party candidates for the coming assembly elections of 2017 in the State.
Party chief Sukhbir Badal announced that senior leader Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar will contest 2017 polls from Moga constituency, while Manjit Singh Manna will contest from Sri Hargobindpur assembly constituency.
Dr Dalbir Singh Verka will be party candidate from Jandiala Guru seat whereas Malkiat Singh AR will contest election from Baba Bakala as SAD nominee, said Sukhbir, adding that with this, the party had now announced 82 party candidates and remaining 12 will also be named soon.
AAP ANNOUNCES FIVE MORE CANDIDATES
Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday announced its sixth list of five candidates for 2017 Punjab assembly polls. Besides, the party has also changed candidates from two seats - Nakodar and Balluana.
With this list, the total number of candidates announced by the party for the upcoming polls has reached 98. Punjab has 117 assembly constituencies.
AAP Punjab convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich (Ghuggi), releasing the list of the candidates, said that five new candidates have been shortlisted keeping in view the “parameters required for a clean candidate”.
From Patti seat, the party has nominated 36-year-old Ranjit Singh Cheema — a businessman with Class XII pass, who joined AAP as a volunteer in 2014. From Sangrur and Rajpura, the party has given tickets to 35-year-old accountant Dinesh Bansal and 40-year-old post-graduate Ashutosh Joshi respectively.
While Bansal actively participated in Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, Joshi is in party fold since Anna Hazare’s movement as a volunteer and party’s NRI Wing member.
From Rampura Phull, the party has fielded 47-year-old Manjit Singh Sidhu. A graduate, Sidhu is party volunteer since 2015. An industrialist and agriculturalist by profession, he has also been a social worker and Eyes and Organ donor trust member.
37-year-old businessman Harkrishan Singh was named as party candidates from Jalandhar Cantt. The president of Jalandhar Car Dealer Association, he joined AAP as a volunteer in 2014.
AAP CHANGES ITS NAKODAR, BAllUANA CANDIDATES
AAP further said that it has decided to change the candidates announced from Nakodar and Balluana assembly segments.
“Punjab NRI wing head Jagtar Singh Sanghera, who was given ticket from Nakodar, is being changed after the party decided to give him some additional responsibilities in the state. In place of Sanghera, the party has given ticket to Sarwan Singh Hayer,” he said.
The candidate from Balluana assembly segment Giriraj Rajoura has been dropped. The party said that he was being changed as reports about his poll campaign “have not been very positive or encouraging”. The party has now nominated Simarjit Singh from Balluana.
CONG lIST AFTER DECEMBER 8
Congress party will release the first list of its candidates for the Assembly polls in Punjab after December 8, said the party’s screening committee chairman Ashok Gehlot.
He said that a meeting of the committee was held in Delhi on Saturday and the next one would be held on December 8, and after that, the names of candidates would be released.
He stressed that winnability was being considered prime factor in selection process.
Gehlot, Rajastahn’s former chief minister, said that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) will finalise the contestant panels and send these to the AICC screening committee at the earliest, and the final list of screened candidates will then be forwarded to the Parliamentary Board headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her approval.
CONG EXPECTED TO FIElD DEFECTORS
Even as the Congress is yet to declare its candidates, it has been learnt that the party may give ticket to the former Akali-BJP leaders who have shifted loyalties towards it recently.
Available information suggests that the candidature of Punjab’s former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal is still undecided, while the party has reportedly shortlisted the names of former Akali MlAs Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Pargat Singh, Sarwan Singh Phillaur and BJP’s former MlA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu for their respective constituencies — a decision expected to invite criticism within the party.
As the precedent goes, Congress has almost always released its candidates at the eleventh hour, after the announcement of election schedule by the Election Commission. For its 2012 poll debacle, the party held late announcement of its candidates as one of the major reason for its defeat as its candidates did not getenough time to campaign.
As per the “tentative” list, 60-plus names have been cleared the hurdle which includes the State party chief Capt Amarinder Singh from Patiala Urban, Congress legislative Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamakur Sahib, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal from lehra Gaga, senior leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar from Abohar.
Other sitting MlAs include Sham Sunder Arora from Hoshiarpur, Navtej Singh Cheema from Sultanpur lodhi, Rana Gurjit Singh from Kapurthala, Tarlochan Singh Soond from Banga (Reserve), Balbir Singh Sidhu from Mohali, Dr Rajkumar Verka from Amritsar West (Reserve), OP Soni from Amritsar Central, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from Dera Baba Nanak, Arun Chaudhary from Dina Nagar, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi from Guru Har Sahai, Parminder Singh Pinky from Ferozepur, Braham Mahindra from Patiala Rural, lal Singh from Sanaur, Kuljeet Singh Nagra from Fatehgarh Sahib, among others.
From Qadian, the party is expected to field Fatehjang Singh Bajwa, younger brother Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa.