In scramble for LS ticket, family first for Cong leaders

Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 5

The allocation of ticket for the 13 parliamentary seats in the state might turn out to be a family affair in the Punjab Congress.

With a divided Opposition and the Congress seemingly in a driving position, there is a race among senior leaders to ensure that power remains within the family.

This is rightly put in by Anumit Hira Sodhi, son of Cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Sodhi, who said the Ferozepur seat had to remain in the family. “Both, me and my father would be applying for the ticket from the constituency we have been nurturing for long,” he said.

The mood of the Congress high command to push young blood into the political arena has given another reason to the party heavyweights to ensure that their wards grab the opportunity.

Patiala ticket to Preneet Kaur, wife of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, is largely decided. Only yesterday, Yadwinder Singh Kang, son of former minister Jagmohan Kang, applied for the Anandpur Sahib seat. Interestingly, Jagmohan Kang is considered close to Rajya Sabha member Ambika Soni, who has been nurturing the Anandpur Sahib seat. “I cannot comment on the matter. It is for the party to see who has to be given the ticket,” Soni said on being asked about her son Anoop Soni’s bid to seek ticket from the constituency.

A senior leader said, “Since one-ticket-one-family rule of the 2017 Assembly elections will not be applicable in the parliamentary polls, family members of ministers and seniors would be seeking nominations.” Fitting in this category, Manmohan Singh, brother of Cabinet minister Charanjit Singh Channi, too has applied from the reserved Fatehgarh Sahib constituency.

For the Khadoor Sahib seat, Anoop Singh Bhullar, brother of Khemkaran MLA Sukhpal Bhullar, has already expressed interest. Similarly, Kamaljeet Brar, son of Baghapurana MLA Darshan Brar, is set to apply for the Ludhiana seat.

With two days left for filing nominations for the Congress ticket, a total of 30 applications were received at the PPCC office.

In the fray

• Anumit Hira Sodhi, son of minister Rana Gurmit Sodhi
• Preneet Kaur, wife of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh
• Yadwinder Singh Kang, son of ex- minister Jagmohan Kang
• Manmohan Singh, brother of minister Charanjit Channi
• Anoop Bhullar, brother of Khemkaran MLA Sukhpal Bhullar
• Kamaljeet Brar, son of Baghapurana MLA Darshan Brar