The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) took the initiative on Tuesday by announcing its first list of six candidates for the ensuing lok Sabha elections from Punjab. In the first list, the party has decided to enter the electoral racetrack with two sitting MPs, a sitting MlA, a greenhorn, besides the two who lost their previous polls.
While SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has already gave enough indications that the party would go for 2014 general elections with his wife and sitting Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Sangrur MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa as party’s candidate for the two seats, announcement of their names sprung no surprises. As the Badal father-son duo are leaving no stone unturned to make Badal bahu secure Bathinda seat this time again, Dhindsa is already out in the field campaigning for the party.
Besides, the party decided to field former MP and party’s senior leader Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib constituency. Prof Chandumajra had unsuccessfully contested 2009 lok Sabha polls from Patiala and 2012 State Assembly polls from Fatehgarh Sahib.
After facing repeated defeats in both polls, the party has decided to give reward to his loyalties but from new arena. Former State Cabinet Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura has been given party’s ticket from Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency. He lost to Congress candidate Ramanjit Singh Sikki from Khadoor Sahib Assembly segment. Party’s sitting MlA from Adampur constituency, under Jalandhar lok Sabha segment, Pawan Kumat Tinu would be party’s candidate from Jalandhar.
He is the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) in the SAD-BJP Government, and is vocal on the issues pertaining to the scheduled castes — making him the best candidate for the Jalandhar lok Sabha seat, which has emerged as a Congress citadel in the past decade-and-a-half.
An enterprising Dalit face, Tinu had secured 1.58 lakh votes when he contested from the erstwhile Phillaur parliamentary constituency in 2004 on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. His maximum share of votes was from Adampur, Phillaur and Nurmahal assembly segments — now part of the Jalandhar lok Sabha seat.
SAD last won Jalandhar seat in 1996. Importantly, the reserved constituency has more than 40 per cent voters from the SC community. For the Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary seat, the party has given ticket to the known builder Kulwant Singh.