Chaudhary files papers with Kaypee in tow

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, April 22

The poll process for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab started on Monday with the issuance of the notification regarding nominations. On the first day, nine nominations were filed.

Congress candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat Chaudhary Santokh Singh was the only one from a major party to have filed his papers. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Mohinder Singh Kaypee, who had been sulking over the denial of ticket to him.

Earlier to pacify Kaypee, Capt Amarinder visited his residence at Model Town here today. The CM, who was here for filing of the nomination papers by Chaudhary Santokh Singh, first halted at Kaypee’s house. He greeted the former PPCC chief with a warm hug. The CM was accompanied by party leaders Sunder Sham Arora and Rana Gurjeet Singh.

During his 15-minute stay at Kaypee’s residence, Capt Amarinder did not formally give any assurance to him regarding appointment on some political post. He took him along for the filing of nomination papers of Chaudhary Santokh Singh and also made him sit in the front row during a rally addressed by him. Kaypee did not address the gathering. He was told to give a vote of thanks after the CM’s speech that too he did not give as everyone was leaving by then.

Being a prominent Dalit face from Doaba, Kaypee had shown his resentment against the denial of ticket to him for about two weeks and had even floated the concept of “Congress Taksali” with other disgruntled Dalit leaders. The matter seem to have resolved now as during the filing of nomination, Kaypee even offered him his pen to Chaudhary Santokh Singh for signing the papers and also to the latter’s son Vikramjit Chaudhary, who filed papers as covering candidate.

A perusal of the nomination papers filed by the Jalandhar candidate showed that his wealth has fallen by 11 per cent. Chaudhary said, “Since there is a fall in the market value of my commercial property, the overall value of assets has come down.”

His and his wife’s assets are worth Rs 9.29 crore, down from Rs 10.39 crore in 2014, when he contested from the same seat. The couple collectively own four vehicles, including a BMW, Honda Accord, Innova and a Gypsy. Their immovable property includes a marriage palace on the Kapurthala road and a house at Vijay Nagar in Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, other candidates who filed nominations on day one were Kabal Singh (Independent) for Amritsar, Badal Singh (Independent) Faridkot, Raghunath Singh of CPI (M) Anandpur Sahib, Baldev Raj Katana (National Justice Party), Jai Prakash Jain (Independent) Ludhiana, Gursewak Singh of SAD (Amritsar) Bathinda and Mahinder Pal Singh (Bhartiya Lok Sewa Dal) Sangrur.