The saffron brigade is all set to lay open its cards in the next two-three days for the big political game.
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), which will be contesting 23 seats out of total 117 in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), will held its meeting in New Delhi on January 10 to discuss the names of its candidates for 2017 Punjab polls, scheduled for February 4.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was in Amritsar for a rally, said that the candidates for the 23 seats would be declared in three to four days. BJP’s ally, SAD, has announced candidates on 93 of the 94 seats it will contest.
Jaitely said BJP will field best candidates and hoped that the SAD-BJP combine would form government for the third consecutive time in the state.
It has been learnt that the deliberate delay in candidate selection and ticket distribution process is anticipated rebellion. The party is likely to change many of its candidates considering the past performance, age, stronghold over the constituency, chances of victory, among other things.
Available information suggests that the party may drop some of its sitting MlAs. At the same time, the same move is being opposed by a section of party leaders.
“A meeting has been convened in Delhi to discuss the candidates…state BJP chief Vijay Sampla was busy with the Vijay Sankalp Yatra…with the same ending today, he has left for the national capital for finalising the candidates,” a senior BJP leader told The Pioneer.
Even before finalising of a single seat, the party is facing stiff revolt from within. The infighting was visible during the just-concluded Vijay Sankalp Yatra when various factions were seen fighting among themselves to make their claims.
The party is mulling over dropping its two senior MlAs — Madan Mohan Mittal and Chunni lal Bhagat — going by the party’s decision of denying ticket to its leaders who have attained the age of 70.
The decision, taken by the party high command, was implemented during Maharashtra election, and is expected to be implemented in Punjab too.
Alike, Congress is also apprehending the rise of rebellions from number of seats — a possible reason of delay in declaration of candidates. The party has, so far, declared the names of its 77 candidates, while it is expected to announce the remaining names by Tuesday.
It is believed that the party has preferred the ‘turncoat’ MlAs over traditional Congress aspirants from their respective constituencies.
“Most of the leaders who had recently quit their parties and inducted in the Congress have been finalized as party candidates from their respective constituencies as they are seen as better bet than the older Congress aspirants from the constituencies,” a senior Congress leader said.
Available information suggest that the thoughtful delay in announcement of candidates is being used as an opportunity to placate the aspirants so that they do not turn rebel as and when the turncoats or outsiders are announced as party candidates.
Already, Congress is facing rebellion at nearly 10 seats it has declared.
The Congress leaders were seen opposing former BJP MlA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s candidature from Amritsar East. Now, the party is likely to field her husband and former MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, who will also be formally joining the Congress on Tuesday.
Former Olympian and turned SAD rebel MlA Pargat Singh, who recently quit Akali Dal and joined Congress, is also facing stiff opposition for ticket from his Jalandhar cantonement constituency from the party’s district chief Jagbir Singh Brar.
Former Akali minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, who was denied ticket by the SAD, is also likely to get ticket from Phillaur as his chances of winning are seen better than former Punjab Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary.
Former SAD MlA Inderbir Singh Bolaria, despite facing stiff opposition from the aspirants in his constituency, is also said to be selected as the Congress candidate from Amritsar South constituency.
Congress is also considering former AAP leader Yamini Gomar, who had unsuccessfully contested elections from Hoshiarpur during parliament elections in 2014, for a reserve constituency.