Congress announces second list of 23 candidates for Punjab polls

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 25

The Congress has fielded former Punjab chief minister Harcharan Brar's daughter in law Karan Brar from Muktsar, former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal's son in law Vikram Bajwa from Sahnewal and former AAP leader Ashu Bangar from Ferozepur Rural in the second list of 23 candidates released late on Tuesday.

Earlier the party had fielded Rajinder Bhattal from Lehra in Sangrur. In the nomination of her son in law today, an exception has been made to the party's one family one ticket rule.

AAP MLA from Raikot Jagtar Singh Hissowal who recently shifted to the Congress has been fielded from Jagraon SC seat.

Three sitting MLAs have been dropped -- Amrik Dhillon in Samrala where the Congress has fielded Raja Gill; Nirmal Singh in Shutrana where Darbara Singh is the new candidate and Satkar Kaur from Ferozepur Rural where Bangar has been named.

The party has retained Bhoa reserved segment MLA Joginder Pal despite strong reservations expressed by Punjab Congress campaign committee chairman Sunil Jakhar.

CM Charanjit Singh Channi was backing Joginder Pal.

Sitting MLAs have been re nominated in Khadoor Sahib (Ramanjeet Singh Sikki); Gill SC seat (Kuldeep Singh Vaid) and Fazilka (Davinder Gubaya).

An interesting entry to the Congress list is of Smit Singh, a close aide of Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Smit Singh has been made a candidate from Amargarh where the Congress sitting MLA is Surjit Dhiman. Surjit Dhiman's son Jaswinder Dhiman has, however, been fielded from Sunam.

In Guru Har Sahai, the Congress has fielded Vijay Kalra, a prominent arthiya leader and president of Punjab Federation of Arthiya Association.

Kalra is also the Vice Chairman of Punjab Mandi Board. The sitting Guru Har Sahai MLA Rana Gurmeet Sodhi recently joined the BJP.

In Banga SC seat the party has fielded Tarlochan Soondh ignoring the claim of former union minister Santosh Chaudhary and her daughter. Namita Choudhry.

Vijay Sharma Tinku, fielded from Kharar, is a liquor contractor.

Kharar is currently represented by AAP's Kanwar Sandhu.

The Congress continued to play safe ahead of February 20 elections, dropping only three MLAs today. It had earlier dropped four.

With today's list, the party has declared 109 candidates.

Among pending seats are Patiala, from where ex Punjab CM Amarinder Singh will be contesting and Jalalabad, the traditional seat of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, currently an MP from Ferozepur.

Here is the list:

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