5 nomination papers filed on Day 1

Chandigarh, January 11

With the issuance of notification for the Punjab assembly polls, the first day of the formal nomination process on Wednesday saw only five papers being filed.

Three of those were filed in Faridkot district while the other two were filed in Bathinda and Fazilka, a spokesperson of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.

No nomination was filed for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, by-poll to which was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MP and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh.

Assembly polls and bypoll to Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in Punjab will be held on February 4.

Candidates can file their nomination papers till January 18.

While scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on January 19, the withdrawal of candidature can be done till January 21.

The counting of votes will take place on March 11.

Punjab will witness a three-way fight between the SAD, AAP and Congress in all 117 seats.

While Congress is going it alone on all seats, ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its ally BJP will contest on 94 and 23 seats, respectively.

A new entrant to Punjab Assembly elections, AAP has fielded candidates for 110 seats and its ally Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) on seven.

Other political outfits in the fray include BSP, Apna Punjab Party (APP), the Left comprising CPI and CPM, and SAD-Amritsar. — PTI