Mahesh Inder Grewal is SAD’s Ludhiana pick

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, april 13

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today named former Cabinet Minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal as the party’s candidate for the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency.  

With this, the SAD has announced eight of its 10 candidates from Punjab. Allia-nce partner BJP is contesting the other three seats. For Ludhiana, the SAD was earlier zeroing in on its Ludhiana district chief Ranjit Singh Dhillon. But, according to sources, because of the threat of rebellion, the party nominated Grewal, a protégé of the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra. He remained political adviser to ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal.

The Congress has fielded sitting MP Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana. Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjit Singh Bains is the Punjab Democratic Alliance nominee for the Ludhiana seat.

In 2014, Ludhiana witnessed a four-cornered contest, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Harvinder Singh Phoolka finishing a close second to Bittu. Legislator Simarjit Singh Bains, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as an Independent, finished fourth, while SAD candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali was on third position. 

However, this time, AAP is yet to announce its candidate.