In a politically-strategic move, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has selected its horses for the 2017 Punjab Assembly election race. Taking the leader, the party on Thursday released the names of 19 of its candidates, out of total 117 seats.
With this, AAP became the first major party in Punjab to release the list for candidates for Assembly polls nearly four months before the State goes for elections, the next year.
New on the block, AAP’s move would not only give its candidates a chance to consolidate their position in the constituencies but also gave itself enough time to cushion the impact of dissidence brought about by the choice of candidates.
The development is significant as political parties, generally, release the list virtually after the model code of conduct comes into place, giving its horses little time to win the race.
Congress party’s defeat in the previous assembly polls in 2012 was largely attributed to the late release of list and wrong choice of candidates, that further led to a large scale dissidence.
Adopting its Delhi model, the party has made an attempt to replicate the success it attained in the national Capital. In Delhi’s 2013 Assembly polls, AAP had declared its candidates way before the polling schedules were announced.
“This gives the party an edge over others in terms of campaigning, voters get to know your candidates, and it is required as we are contesting for the first time. Other parties are well established here, and we have to make our mark,” a senior AAP leader told The Pioneer.
As announced earlier, AAP’s first list includes “common man” and is a motley of lawyers, social or environment activists, a former MP, sportsmen, an ex-serviceman, a doctor, an engineer and traders.
The prominent names includes senior lawyer HS Phoolka, advocate-turned-politician Himmat Singh Shergill, former BSP MP Mohan Singh, former basketball player and Arjuna awardee Singh Cheema.
Phoolka, who had unsuccessfully contested 2014 lok Sabha polls from ludhiana on AAP ticket, will be party candidate from Dakha. Known for leading a campaign to get justice for 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, there are reports that the party is mulling over projecting Phoolka as its chief ministerial face.
Notably, Phoolka has been seen sharing space with party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his recent visits to the State.
Party has once again laid its bet on Shergill, party’s candidate from Sri Anandpur Sahib lok Sabha constituency, and fielded him from SAS Nagar (Mohali). Also party’s legal cell in-charge, Shergill has made a name for himself for fighting case for the Punjabi farmers in Gujarat facing eviction.
Former BSP leader Mohan Singh Phalianwala, a Dalit face, will contest from Ferozepur (Rural). Twice MP from Ferozepur (Rural), 60-year-old Phalianwala had joined AAP in June.
The party has also fielded former international Basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema from Sultanpur lodhi. A 59-year-old Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award recipient, Cheema had also captained Indian Basketball Team.
The party has allotted ticket to another national-level basketball player Gurdit Singh Sekhon from Faridkot. Forty-five-year-old Sekhon is also a social activist.
Giving preference to the youth power, party has fielded its state’s youth wing president Harjot Singh Bains and Samarbir Singh Sidhu, both 25-year-old, from Sahnewal and Fazilka Assembly segments, respectively.
Amarjeet Singh, a native of Nurpur Bedi, who left his home years ago to work as a taxi driver, also gets AAP ticket from Roopnagar (Ropar).
Kultar Singh Sandhwa, who has been running an NGO — Bhai Ghanaiya Cancer Roko Seva Society — that provides treatment to the cancer patient, will be party’s candidate from Kotkapura.
The Society had also filed a public interest litigation (PIl) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to include cancer drugs in schedule and succeeded. Cancer has been a major issue in Punjab, especially in Malwa region.
Ahbaab Singh Grewal, general secretary of the party’s farmer and labour wing, has been fielded from ludhiana (West).
Other candidates include environmentalist Inderbir Singh Nijjer from Amritsar (South), Ramdas Municipal Corporation’s former president Rajpreet Singh Randhawa from Ajnala, party’s state Political Review Committee member and agriculturist Jagdeep Singh Brar from Sri Muktsar Sahib, retired Army lieutenant Brigadier Raj Kumar from Balachaur, former SGPC member Gurvinder Singh Shampura from Fatehgarh Churian.
A small scale trader Gurpreet Singh lapran has been fielded from Payal, party’s Sangrur -zone in-charge Jasvir Singh Sekhon (Jassi) from Dhuri, social activist and party’s SC wing general secretary Santokh Singh Salana from Bassi Pathana.
The only woman candidate in the first list is 28-year-old Rupinder Kaur Ruby, who is pursuing a doctorate in law. She will contest from Bathinda (rural).
“As per promise of giving candidates with the clear image, party included doctors, lawyers, agriculturists, academicians, and social activists in the list,” said Sanjay Singh while announcing the candidates.
Party’s candidate from Amritsar (South), a professional doctor Inderbir Singh Nijjer, has claimed that he would win the polls by contesting with a fair and honest manner. “I will not indulge in any kind of allurements…no nasha(intoxicant)…no money...and with this, you see, I will surely win these elections,” he said.
SENIOR lEADERS ABSENT
Interestingly, the list was announced in the absence of party’s national convener Kejriwal, who is on a vipassana sojourn at Dharamshala. Party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur was also absent giving rise to rumours that he has resigned — responding to which he took to social media to deny the same.
AAP’s state co-convenor Durgesh Pathak was also away, attending a vipassana course.
To announce the list, AAP state affair’s in-charge Sanjay Singh, Sangrur MP and Election Campaign Committee chairman Bhagwant Mann and party’s state women wing chairman Prof Baljinder Kaur were present.
MANN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE HEAD
Mired in series of controversies over his Parliament’s live streaming act, and allegations for attending house proceedings “drunk”, party MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann has been named as the its campaign committee chairman.
CHHOTEPUR RESIGNATION
Party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Thursday took to micro-blogging website, Twitter, to clear the air over the rumours of his resignation.
After a Punjab’s regional news channel reportedly broadcast a report on Chotepur’s alleged resignation in protest of his differences with the party leadership, AAP leader wasted no time to rebuff the same on Twitter.
“News running about my Resignation on PTC Channel is a FAKE News…!! Beware of Rumours, its a fake news..!!” he tweeted.