Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will unveil its candidates for the remaining five Lok Sabha seats in the state over the next five days. With polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats scheduled for June 1, Mann’s announcement signifies a crucial step in AAP’s electoral strategy.
Mann took to social media platform ‘X’ to share the update, stating, “In the next five days, the candidates for the remaining five Lok Sabha seats will be announced by the AAP.”
While AAP has already disclosed eight candidates, including five cabinet ministers, a Congress turncoat, an artiste-cum-Mann’s friend, and a sitting MP, there are still five constituencies awaiting their contenders. These are Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, and Anandpur Sahib are yet to have their AAP representatives confirmed.
Notably, AAP made headlines by being the first political party in Punjab to release its list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. The initial roster included five Cabinet Ministers — Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar for Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Khudian for Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer for Sangrur, and Dr Balbir Singh for Patiala.
In addition to these seasoned politicians, AAP has introduced fresh faces to the political arena. Notably, actor-singer Karamjit Anmol has been nominated as the party candidate for the Faridkot seat, showcasing AAP’s diverse selection approach. Anmol is close to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and was earlier expected to take the electoral plunge from his home constituency, Sangrur. With Sangrur not being the reserved seat, Anmol will now enter the electoral fray from Faridkot.
Former Congress MLA Gurpreet Singh GP’s nomination for the Fatehgarh Sahib seat also symbolized AAP’s endeavour to offer representation to individuals from different professional spheres.
It’s imperative to note that AAP, as a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, is contesting the parliamentary polls independently in Punjab. The move underscored the party’s confidence in its regional strength and its vision for the state’s political landscape.
As the announcement of candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha seats draws near, anticipation and speculation are on the rise. AAP’s choices will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the electoral dynamics and setting the tone for the upcoming polls in Punjab.
In a parallel development, Punjab Chief Minister is also conducting meetings with MLAs and party leaders across all segments. Under the same series, Mann on Thursday held meetings at Bathinda to discuss the strategy for the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.
The meeting served as a platform to deliberate on crucial electoral tactics and engage with the party’s candidate Gurmeet Singh Khudian.