AAP releases list of 19 candidates for Punjab Assembly elections : The Tribune India

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AAP releases list of 19 candidates for Punjab Assembly elections

Amaninder Pal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 4

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stolen a march over its rivals—the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress—by releasing the first list of its candidates for 19 constituencies for the Punjab Assembly elections.

Besides prominent party leaders HS Phoolka and Himmat Singh Shergill, the list includes several office-bearers of the party’s youth wing, including Harjot Singh Bains, one of the founder members of the party in Punjab, who heads its youth wing.

Phoolka will contest from Dakha, Shergill from Mohali and Bains from Sahnewal.

Besides, the list has the names of two former basketball players, Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema and Gurditt Singh Sekhon. Cheema and Sekhon will contest from Sultanpur Lodhi and Faridkot, respectively.

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The party has given tickets to two former members of Bahujan Samaj Party–Mohan Singh Phalianwala and Santokh Singh Salana. Phalianwala will contest from Ferozepur (rural) and Salana from Bassi Pathana.

Kultar Singh Sandhwa, a member of the extended family of former President Giani Zail Singh, will contest from Kotkapura.

The first list was announced here by party MP Bhagwant Mann, who was accompanied by its Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and women wing in-charge Baljinder Kaur.

“The party has allotted tickets to its committed workers and youth, who all have a clean image. We will soon release the next list,” Mann said.

However, party’s Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur was conspicuous by his absence. HS Kingra, a retired bureaucrat who is considered a close aide of Chhotepur, had resigned from the party on Wednesday alleging that the party’s Delhi leadership had destroyed its Punjab unit.

Evading queries on Chhotepur’s absence, Sanjay Singh said, “He has some personal engagements.”

Meanwhile, 27-year-old law graduate Rupinder Kaur Ruby will contest from Bathinda (rural) and practising doctor Inderbir Singh Nijjer from Amritsar (south) assembly segments.

Former SGPC member Gurvinder Singh Shampura will contest from Fatehgarh Churian.

The selection of candidates by the AAP will make the contest interesting in some of the assembly segments provided both the traditional parties decide to go ahead with the faces currently representing these seats.

The Dakha constituency, from where Phoolka will contest, is currently represented by SAD leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. Sahnewal, which will see Harjot Singh Bains contest on the AAP ticket, is now represented by cabinet minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon. The AAP has chosen party’s legal wing head Himmat Singh Shergill for the Mohali seat, currently represented by Congress’s Balbir Sigh Sidhu.

Meanwhile, AAP's Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur in a tweet said the TV report about his resignation was fake.