Releasing its second list of candidates, Punjab Congress not only changed two of its trusted soldiers just before the 2017 electoral battle, but also made clear its preference for young and energetic fighters by bringing in four new entrants.
Among the ones armed to fight the political opponents in next year’s ballot battle are two warriors who crossed over a short while back; while retaining six sitting MlAs.
Declaring 16 more names, the party has dropped two of its sitting legislators — Joginder Singh Panjgrain from Jaito and Tarlochan Singh Soond from Banga.
Panjgrain had unsuccessfully contested 2014 lok Sabha polls from Faridkot. At that time too, his candidature was opposed owing to allegations of drug smuggling against him. Soond, who was appointed as party’s Doaba region in-charge during the tenure of Partap Singh Bajwa as party chief in 2013, was also failed to find his place on the list.
To replace them, the party has opted for Punjabi folk singer and party’s sitting MlA from Bhadaur Mohammad Sadique from Jaitu reserve Assembly segment, while for Banga reserve seat, party has fielded a former MP and a former BSP leader Satnam Singh Kainth.
Besides Sadique, the party has also shifted its Bucho Mandi (SC) MlA Ajaib Singh Bhatti to Malout (SC) constituency.
However, the requests of Gidderbaha MlA and Indian Youth Congress president Raja Amarinder Singh Warring, to shift his constituency to Muktsar, failed to find favour as the party decided to field him from the same seat where he defeated heavyweight Manpreet Singh Badal.
Other than Warring, other sitting MlAs who will defend their seats include three-time MlA Amrik Singh Dhillon from Samrala, three-time MlA Jagmohan Singh Kang from Kharar, and Karan Kaur Brar from Muktsar.
Interestingly, the party has dropped all candidates who had lost in 2012 Assembly polls in its second list, except Surjit Singh Dhiman, who has been fielded from Amargarh. However, Dhiman refused to contest polls citing “delay in announcement of tickets” as reason.
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh said that only credible and winnable candidates have been given the tickets and winnability is the sole criterion for selection. In all, the Congress has, so far, announced a total of 77 candidates after it released a list of 61 candidates earlier retaining 31 of its 42 legislators.
Party also fielded two turncoats — former People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) leader Harwinder Singh laddi from Bathinda (rural) seat and, a two-time MlA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Nirmal Singh Nimma from Bhadaur reserve seat, in place of Sadique.
Ending speculations of fielding former Akali Minister and sitting MlA Sarwan Singh Phillaur from his Kartarpur reserve constituency, the Congress has fielded Choudhry Surinder Singh, son of its late leader Choudhry Jagjit Singh. Phillaur had recently left SAD to join the Congress.
Treading cautiously, the party has once again put on hold the constituencies from where it is expected to field the ‘turncoat’ Akali and BJP MlAs.
Congress also included a fresh face, Darshan lal Mangepur from Balachaur, replacing Rajwinder Singh lucky, who lost 2012 polls.
Adding youthful spirit, Congress gave tickets to two young candidates — Birenderjit Singh Pahra from Gurdaspur, and Daman Thind Bajwa from Sunam.
Pahra, whose father Kartar Singh Pahra was an MlA from 1997 until 2002, has been working in the constituency for the last several years. Daman Bajwa has been an active student leader and was Congress’ student unit, National Student Union of India’s (NSUI) president.
Daman and Karan Brar are the two women in the second list, taking the total number of women candidates declared so far by the party to eight.
As party’s former MlA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira has shifted his loyalties towards Aam Aadmi Party, Congress has fielded Gurwinder Singh Atwal to contest against SAD's Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Following the one family, one seat norm, the party has this time given ticket to party’s Tarn Taran district president Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, instead of his father Gurchet Singh Bhullar—a senior Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister who lost 2012 polls.