Former Minister Gobind Singh longowal declared as SAD-BJP candidate

SAD-BJP combine on Friday declared former Minister Gobind Singh longowal as its candidate for Dhuri Assembly bypoll, scheduled to be held on April 11. 

Dhuri Assembly segment had fallen vacant after the Congress MlA Arvind Khanna decided to quit active politics. SAD-BJP candidate longowal, a close aide of former SAD president Sant Harchand Singh longowal, was earlier elected MlA from Dhanaula in 1985, 1997 and 2002. He also remained state minister in the Punjab Government from 1997 to 2002.

Congress party, unable to find a suitable candidate so far, is considering the name of former Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala’s grandson Simarpartap Singh as joint candidate of all opposition parties. Barnala family has a stronghold over the area.

It has been learnt that the Congress is considering Simarpartap’s name after the party leaders expressed their disinclination to contest Dhuri bypoll. 

Already, party’s Barnala MlA Kewal Singh Dhillon refused to the candidature of his son Karan Dhillon, and proposed the name of Barnala’s son Gaganajit Singh Barnala.

Available information suggests that the party leadership has almost reached a consensus on the Simarpartap’s candidature and also proposed his name to the party high command. Barnala is heading SAD (longowal) and is a part of Sanjha Morcha — a agglomeration of five political parties including People’s Party of Punjab led by Manpreet Badal. Sanjha Morcha joined hands with the Congress ahead 2012 state assembly polls.

The name of former Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla was also doing the rounds, who was not keen to contest assembly polls. The party was also taken in its view the names of local leaders — Surjit Singh Dhiman and Dhanwant Singh Dhuri, who also expressed their aversion and inability, respectively, to contest polls. Congress party is expected to announce its candidate for Dhuri bypoll in couple of days.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which had earlier announced to contest by-election, has already backed out of the contest.