Kaypee opting out, aspirants make a beeline for Cong ticket from Hoshiarpur

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi
Hoshiarpur, February 7

The Lok Sabha (reserved) constituency of Hoshiarpur is turning out to be a favourite for the Congress ticket aspirants. Since the previous candidate Mohinder Singh Kaypee does not appear to be interested in contesting from Hoshiarpur, the aspirants have started bidding for their claim from Hoshiarpur.

In three days, six stakeholders have filed their nomination for the Congress ticket. The latest among them is Sham Churasi MLA Pawan Adia and ex-minister Joginder Mann. Both are leaders of the Valmiki community and filed their claims today.

Ex-minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur applied for the Congress candidature from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur parliamentary constituencies. Phillaur, who was the Jail Minister in the previous SAD-BJP government, had recently got a major relief from the Supreme Court.

The apex court has put a stay in the trial case that was going on against Phillaur in the infamous Bhola drug racket in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) special court in Mohali. His supporters claim he can attract the floating votes towards the Congress, considering his four decades long political career. Starting his political career in 1977, when he won the assembly elections from Phillaur constituency, he was elected an MLA six times. Interestingly, Phillaur has also presented his stake for the Jalandhar seat simultaneously.

Former Union Minister of State and former MP from Hoshiarpur Santosh Chaudhary had earlier filed her nomination yesterday. Her supporters claim that the party had to face defeat in the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 for ignoring her and giving ticket to an outsider.

She had previously been an MP from the constituency and has a family legacy over the constituency as her father-in-law Chaudhary Sunder Singh had represented it earlier. Her husband had also represented the Sham Churasi Assembly constituency which was earlier a part of Phillaur constituency and was later added to Hoshiarpur. If the party decides not to give her ticket, Santosh Chaudhary, who is 76 years old now, could be in a cleft. To tackle the situation probably, her daughter Namita has also filed for the Congress ticket today in Chandigarh.

Another strong contender for the Congress ticket from Hoshiarpur is the sitting MLA of Chabbewal constituency and chairman of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee’s SC cell, Dr Raj Kumar. He had had also filed his claim for the party ticket from Hoshiarpur constituency a day before.

Dr Raj Kumar had been the chairman of PPCC’s SC cell for long. He was appointed to the post when Partap Singh Bajwa was the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Two PPCC presidents have changed since but his post is intact. His supporters claim that having represented the community not only in Doaba but in the state, besides a clean image and the advantage of being a local candidate, his for the candidature appears to be strong.

Meanwhile, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, who was the previous candidate, does not seem to be interested in contesting from Hoshiarpur. He is said to be aspiring for the Jalandhar seat and has filed for the party ticket from there.