Jakhar, Salaria file papers

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, September 22

Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar submitted nomination papers for the Gurdaspur byelection here today, even as over 50 sitting and former MLAs and MPs attended the party rally that was addressed by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and others.

Addressing the rally, Capt Amarinder claimed that BJP candidate Swaran Salaria had approached him for the Congress ticket a month ago.

“If Salaria could not properly run the Chintpurni Medical College at Pathankot, how does he expect to run the affairs of a big constituency such as Gurdaspur? So, I told him to come better prepared next time,” quipped Capt Amarinder.

The CM further said: “I told Salaria that I have a better candidate in mind, following which he turned his attention to Delhi-based BJP leaders. The BJP suits a rich man like him as there are reports that money changed hands before his selection as the candidate.”

Jakhar said he was a great fan of Bollywood star and former MP Vinod Khanna, adding that he was relieved when the latter’s wife, Kavita Khanna, was not nominated by the BJP.

“I am happy that Salaria got the ticket because he will prove to be an also-ran,” the PPCC chief said.

Assets

Sunil Jakhar: Rs 3.94 crore

Spouse: Rs 20.18 crore

Total (self and spouse): Rs 24.1 crore (approx)

Sunil Jakhar doesn’t own any vehicle. His wife, Silvia Jakhar, owns a Jeep Cherokee that was purchased a decade and a half ago for about Rs 12.6 lakh

Bajwa, wife skip Congress rally

New Delhi: Former Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa skipped the Congress’ maiden rally in the constituency on Friday ahead of the October 11 byelection. Bajwa and his wife, Charanjit Kaur, a former MLA from Qadian, stayed put in New Delhi. The couple was staking a claim to the ticket, but the party picked state unit chief Sunil Jakhar, a confidant of CM Capt Amarinder Singh. It is learnt that a miffed Bajwa, now a Rajya Sabha MP, and his wife will try to meet Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi once he returns from the US on Saturday evening and flag their concerns over the “goings-on” in the state unit. Charanjit had vacated her Qadian seat for Fateh Jang, her brother-in-law, who went on to win in this year's elections. Fateh Jang attended Friday’s rally. Aditi Tandon