Cong 4th list out; 3 seats still left

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 16

The Congress today declared its fourth list of candidates for Punjab, naming six and replacing four previously declared. The party has now declared 114 candidates, and three are still to be named.

The party officially declared state chief Capt Amarinder Singh as the candidate against CM Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi. Former CM Beant Singh’s grandson and sitting Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has been pitted against Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad.

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Pargat Singh will defend his Jalandhar Cantt seat while Jagbir Brar, who was hoping to get the seat, has been fielded from Nakodar. Navjot Singh Sidhu will fight from Amritsar East, which his wife represents. Senior leader Lal Singh’s Sanaur seat has gone to Harinder Singh Mann.

This is the seat senior Lal Singh has been winning for years but was reluctant to fight this time as he wanted a ticket for his son from the adjoining Samana. The Congress, while sticking to the one family one ticket rule, gave Lal Singh’s son Rajinder Singh the Samana ticket.

Meanwhile, the party has also announced replacement of its candidates. Vikramjit Chaudhary has been fielded from Phillaur in place of his mother. Previously named candidate Gurwinder Singh Atwal has been replaced with Ranjit Singh in Bholath; Rajkumar Gupta with Avtar Singh Sanghera (son of senior leader Avtar Henry) in Jalandhar North and Geja Ram with Malkiat Singh Dakha in Jagraon SC seat. The replacements come in the wake of local rebellions in the party. 

The three seats for which candidates are yet to be announced are: Ludhiana East, where ex-Union minister Manish Tewari is seeking a ticket and the Ravneet Bittu faction is pushing for local councillor Sanjay Talwar; Amritsar South where ex-Akali and sitting MLA Inderbir Boleria and Congress’ JS Dimpa are locked in a fight for nomination; and Mansa, where Capt Amarinder’s aide Bharat Inder Singh Chahal is hoping for a ticket for his son.