Former police officers, singers, and turncoats were among 30 candidates announced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday for the ensuing 2022 Punjab assembly polls. The party has already announced the candidature of 10 sitting MLAs in the first list.
Announcing its second list of 30 candidates, AAP fielded former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Partap from Amritsar (North), and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Balkar Singh from Kartarpur assembly segment. The party also reposed its faith in the singer-turned-politicians. Days after the ruling Congress inducted the world-renowned Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moosewala, AAP gives tickets to two Punjabi singers — Anmol Gagan Mann from Kharar in place of sitting MLA Kanwar Sandhu, and Balkar Sidhu from Rampura Phul.
AAP also chose to reward the leaders, who have shifted their loyalties towards the party, and fielded at least six turncoats, including four former Congress leaders, and each from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP). Among those who defected from the Congress include a senior Hindu leader from Gurdaspur Raman Behl who has been fielded from Gurdaspur assembly segment, Capt Amarinder Singh’s covering candidate for Lambi in 2017 assembly elections and former Lok Sabha MP Jagdev Singh Khudian’s son Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Lambi; Ludhiana Municipal Corporation councillor Daljit Bhola Grewal from Ludhiana east, and Congress’ former state secretary Kulwant Singh Sidhu has been given ticket from Atam Nagar constituency. Akali Dal’s former leader Madan Lal Bagga has been fielded from Ludhiana north, while LIP stalwart Manwinder Singh Giaspura is party’s choice from Payal assembly segment.
The second list, signed by AAP’s Punjab unit president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and AAP Punjab unit in-charge Jarnail Singh, was released on Friday.
Among others fielded by the party include Vibhuti Sharma from Pathankot, Shamsher Singh from Dina Nagar (SC), Jagroop Singh Sekhwan from Qadian, Sherry Kalsi from Batala, and Balbir Singh Pannu from Fatehgarh Churian in the ballot battleground from Majha region of the state. The party has shown their confidence in Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar for Amritsar South and Laljit Singh Bhullar for Patti.
Dr Ravjot Singh and Lalit Mohan ‘Ballu’ Pathak will be AAP candidates from Kartarpur (SC), Sham Chaurasi (SC) and Nawanshahr respectively.
The party has fielded Naresh Kataria from Zira, Jagdeep Singh ‘Kaka’ Brar from Sri Muktsar Sahib, Gurdit Singh Sekhon from Faridkot. Party’s industry cell Neena Mittal has been fielded from Rajpura, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajran from Sanour, Chetan Singh Jormajra from Samana, and Jiwan Singh Sangowal from Gill (SC) segment. Gurlal Ghanour is the party’s choice from Ghanour, Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur (SC), Lal Chand Kataruchakk from Bhoa (SC), and ETO Harbhajan Singh from Jandiala (SC) constituency. However, the suspense continues over whether the comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann will be contesting the state assembly elections, as a section of party is demanding to declare the Sangrur MP as AAP’s chief ministerial candidate.
With the announcement of 30 more candidates, AAP has, in all, allotted tickets on 40 seats, out of total 117 in Punjab. Already, SAD has named over 90 candidates, while Congress is yet to even start the process to finalise the candidates.