Shiromani Akali Dal’s first list of 69 candidates : The Tribune India

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Shiromani Akali Dal has released its first list of 69 candidates.

Amarpal Singh Bony (40)

Ajnala

Two-time MLA from the border constituency, he won the 2012 elections by defeating Congress candidate Harpartap Ajnala. He first contested the elections in 2004, but was defeated. He is son of three-time MLA Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala.

Veer Singh Lopoke (63)

Rajasansi

Considered close to the Badal family, he won the Rajasansi constituency twice in 1997 and 2002. However, he was defeated by Congress candidate Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria in the next two elections. He is district planning board chairman and district president of SAD (rural).

Bikram Singh Majithia (40)

Majitha

He has been allotted party ticket from Majitha for the third consecutive time. He was elected to the Assembly in 2007 and 2012. Presently, he is a Cabinet Minister with portfolios of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Information and Public Relations and Non-Conventional Energy.

Gulzar Singh Ranike (58)

Attari

Animal Husbandry Minister in the current government, Ranike has remained undefeated from Attari constituency since 1997. He is the president of the SAD (SC) wing. He started his political career as a Sarpanch in Ranike village in 1983.

Sikandar Maluka (67)

Rampura Phul

An old stalwart of SAD, Maluka defeated Congress’ Gurpreet Kangar by 5,111 votes. Maluka has an image of reacting sharply against anyone who criticises any of the SAD’s or his “developmental” works.

Sarup Chand Singla (55)

Bathinda Urban

Last time, Sarup defeated Harminder Jassi by 6,645 votes. He continues to stay away from controversy. Being a businessman with a humble beginning, now his trade is spread all over. However, his role as a leader came into question when Harsimrat Badal’s vote bank reduced by nearly 30,000 votes in the last Lok Sabha poll.

Jeetmohinder Sidhu (48)

Talwandi Sabo

After resigning from the Congress, Sidhu joined SAD and became MLA in the Talwandi Sabo byelections by defeating former Bathinda (Urban) MLA Amarjit Singh Sidhu by 46,642 votes. Despite being embroiled in a CBI case, he continues to enjoy the strong support of his voters.

Janmeja Singh Sekhon (71)

Maur

He won the previous elections by a thin margin of 1,387 votes defeating Mangat Rai Bansal. He is known among voters for opening the tangled knots of any administrative or police-related works of his party workers. He is famous for cementing the water channels in agricultural fields.

Hari Singh Zira (80)

zira

Hari Singh Zira is the sitting MLA from Zira. He is among the senior-most leaders of SAD, but a cabinet berth was not given to him. His son Avtar Singh Minna was made Chairman of the State Cooperative Bank to pacify his supporters. Though age is not by his side, Zira is still active in his constituency.

Mantar Singh Brar (52)

Kotkapura

Brar, SAD Faridkot district unit incharge, won the first election in 1997 as an Independent and then contested the 2002 elections as SAD candidate. In 2007, he lost the Kotkapura seat to Congress candidate Ripjit Singh Brar.

Parambans Singh Romana (35)

Faridkot

Parambans Singh Romana alias Bunty is a greenhorn in the Assembly elections. He has replaced Deep Malhotra, sitting SAD MLA and a liquor baron. Chairman, Punjab State Youth Development Board, and chief spokesman for the Youth Akali Dal, he is known for his high position in Student Organisation of India.

Dilraj Bhundar (48)

Sardulgarh

In the 2012 Assembly elections, Dilraj lost to the Congress' Ajit Inder Singh Mofar by 2,732 votes. He has served as Zila Parishad chief for five years (2007-12). His father Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar had won on a SAD ticket in 2002.

Shiv Ram Kaler (64)

Nihal Singh Wala

Elbowing out sitting Akali MLA Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike from this SC reserve Assembly seat, SAD has this time decided to field Shiv Ram Kaler. A former bureaucrat, Kaler is the sitting Akali MLA from Jagraon, a reserve Assembly seat.

Tota Singh (73)

Dharamkot

Tota Singh, the sitting MLA from Dharamkot seat and state Agriculture Minister, is a stalwart Akali leader from Moga district. He has been fielded by the party on Dharamkot seat for the second time. Before Dharamkot, Tota Singh was party MLA from Moga Assembly seat.

NK Sharma (46)

Dera Bassi

He had defeated Deepinder Dhillon (Independent) by 12,037 votes in 2012. He has been Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Industries. He started his political career in 1998 by winning the election of Sarpanch of Lohgarh village. He later served as chairman of Mohali District Planning Board for three years.

Harmeet Singh Sandhu (47)

Tarn Taran

He was elected to the state Assembly from Tarn Taran in 2002 as an Independent. In 2007, he won as Akali Dal candidate from Tarn Taran. In June 2011, he was appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretary. He was re-elected to the Assembly in 2012.

Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon (49)

Gidderbaha

Hardeep Singh 'Dimpy' Dhillon is first-time candidate from Gidderbaha. His father Shivraj Singh Dhillon was an aide of former Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar. Dimpy is a co-owner of new Deep Transport, which has remained in controversies over a number of road mishaps in the recent past.

Kanwarjeet ‘Rozy Barkandi’ (44)

Muktsar

He is the second time SAD candidate from Muktsar Assembly constituency. Rozy had, last year, lost the election to Congress candidate Karan Kaur Brar. He started his political career by becoming Sarpanch of Barkandi village and later got elected as Zila Parishad member.

Justice Nirmal Singh (retd) (69)

Chamkaur Sahib

MLA from the Bassi Pathana constituency of Fatehgarh Sahib, he retired as Justice from the J&K High Court in 2009. He served the Punjab and Haryana High Court from 2002 to 2005. His wife Parmjit Kaur Gulshan had represented Bathinda and Faridkot seats from 2004 to 2009 and 2009 to 2014, respectively.

Daljit Singh Cheema (54)

Ropar

Education Minister and sitting MLA from Ropar, he was elected in 2012 after defeating Congress candidate Ramesh Dutt Sharma by 8,882 votes. A qualified MBBS doctor, Cheema is reportedly close to both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Arvinder Singh Rasulpur (66)

Urmar

An agriculturist, he is partner in a cold store. Class VIII pass, he has assets of more than Rs 8 crore. He had no political background prior to contesting elections from Tanda in 2012. He was given the SAD ticket in 2012, but he lost to Congress candidate Sangat Singh Giljian.

Surinder Singh Bhulewal (63)

Garhshankar

Sitting MLA from Garhshankar, he is also SGPC member from Hoshiarpur. A brick-kiln owner, he had defeated Luv Kumar Goldy in the 2012 elections. He is also district president of SAD. Class V passout, he has assets of more than Rs 10 crore

Sohan Singh Thandal (63)

Chabbewal

An agriculturist, he is sitting MLA from Chabbewal (SC). Cabinet Minister for Tourist, Jails and Cultural Affairs, he had remained legislator thrice from Mahilpur.

Parkash Singh Bhatti (62)

Balluana

A turncoat, he contested the 2012 elections as an Independent after he was denied ticket by the Congress. Before contesting the elections from Balluana as Congress candidate in 2002, Bhatti had quit his government job.

GS Babbehali (63)

Gurdaspur

He is a two-time MLA. Before the 2007 elections, Babbehali was the president of the Gurdaspur District Congress Committee. He changed loyalties after the Congress rejected his candidature.

Sewa Singh Sekhwan (62)

Qadian

He was in the running for the presidentship of the SGPC before Badal opted for KS Badungar. He lost the 2012 elections by 16,000 votes to Congress candidate Charanjit Kaur Bajwa. He was designated as halqa incharge of the seat after he lost the last Assembly poll.

Sucha Singh Langah (67)

Dera Baba Nanak

Langah has been convicted in a criminal case and eyebrows have been raised over his candidature as rules state that a convicted person cannot contest the elections. His son, Sukhjinder Singh Langah, was in contention for the ticket.

LS Lodhinangal (59)

Batala

He was an MLA from Qadian before the SAD decided to field him from Batala in the last elections. The Batala BJP is not supporting his candidature as the party does not enjoy good relations with him.

Nirmal Singh Kahlon (73)

Fatehgarh Churian

A former Cabinet Minister and Speaker, Kahlon was not in contention for the ticket. Instead, his son Ravi Karan Kahlon was eyeing the nomination. He lost the poll in 2012 and was appointed halqa incharge.

Surjit Singh Rakhra (66)

Samana

Sitting MLA from this constituency, he is the Cabinet Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation, Higher Education and Languages. His brothers Darshan Singh Dhaliwal and Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal are businessmen in the US. He is considered a close aide of CM Parkash Singh Badal.

Vaninder Kaur Loomba (49)

Shutrana

The incumbent Akali MLA from Shutrana had won this seat in the last elections for the first time. She is the first female legislator to be elected from this Assembly.

Kabir Das (54)

Nabha

A former senior deputy mayor of the Patiala Municipal Corporation and state secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), he recently shifted loyalties to SAD. It would be his first state elections.

Satbir Singh Khatra (34)

Patiala II

A one-time Akali rebel, he had contested the last Assembly elections as an independent and had finished third. He was soon welcomed into the party by Sukhbir Badal. He is son of senior police officer Ranbir Singh Khatra.

Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur (58)

Ghanaur

Wife of former Ghanaur legislator Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, she had won the last election from this constituency by defeating Madan Lal Jalalpur of the Congress. Her husband had won from this constituency in 1997.

HS Chandumajra (36)

Sanour

A first-timer, Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra is son of Akali stalwart and Anandpur Sahib MP Prem Singh Chandumajra. Before joining as halqa incharge of this segment, he had held the post of Co-operative Bank MD.

Parminder Singh Dhindsa (43)

Lehra

An MBA from Punjabi University, Patiala, and son of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, he has been fielded by the SAD for the fifth time. This time he has been fielded from Lehra in place of Sunam. From 2007 to 2012, he worked as PWD Minister.

Parkash Chand Garg (64)

Sangrur

Sitting MLA, he has been allotted the ticket from Sangrur for the third time. He was defeated in 2007, but emerged victorious in 2012 and became Chief Parliamentary Secretary.

Iqbal Singh Jhundan (54)

Amargarh

A law graduate, he entered politics in 1993 when he was first time elected sarpanch of his native Jhundan village near Amargarh. In 1998, he was again elected sarpanch of the village. He contested from Dhuri in 2002, but lost the elections.

Gurpreet Singh ‘Raju’ Khanna

Amloh

Khanna, a first-timer, was earlier the president of Student Organisation of India, SAD's student wing, and was appointed chairman of the youth welfare board. He got the ticket after replacing Jagdeep Singh Cheema, who lost in 2012 from Amloh. His candidature was announced by SAD president Sukhbir Badal on August 24 during a Sangat Darshan programme in Amloh.

Ajit Singh Shant (60)

Mehal Kalan

A former Congress MLA, Shant joined the Akali Dal in 2013. He had won from the Nihal Singh Wala constituency in 2007 as an Independent candidate before joining the Congress. Shant lost the 2012 elections to Rajwinder Kaur of the SAD. His father Gurdev Singh was also an MLA from Nihal Singh Wala.

Gurpartap Singh Wadala (53)

Nakodar

He was elected to the Assembly from Nakodar in 2012, replacing his father Kuldip Singh Wadala. In 2012, he defeated Congress’ Amarjit Singh Samra by 8,592 votes.

Balbir Singh Ghunas

Bhadaur

The Dirba MLA has been allotted the party ticket for the fifth time. He earlier won the Bhadaur seat in 1997, 2002 and 2007. In 2012, he was shifted to Dirba which he won too.

Adaish Partap Singh Kairon (54)

Patti

He is the grandson of former CM Partap Singh Kairon. His father Surinder Singh Kairon was in the Congress for decades. He is the son-in-law of CM Parkash Singh Badal. He has been representing Patti since 1997.

Ravinder Singh Brahampura (46)

khadoor sahib

He is the adopted son of SAD Lok Sabha member Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, an old friend of CM Parkash Singh Badal. Ravinder was the Chairman, District Planning Board (now Committee), Tarn Taran.

Joginder Singh Jindu (54)

Ferozepur Rural

The MLA from Ferozepur (Rural), Joginder Singh Jindu was a member of the Cantonment Board for more than two decades before joining the SAD. In his first election in 2012, he had defeated Satkar Kaur Gehri of the Congress by 162 votes.

Vardev Singh Mann (51)

Guruharsahai

A close aide of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Vardev Singh Mann, alias Nony Mann, is the halqa incharge of Guruharsahai. Son of three-time Ferozepur MP Zora Singh Mann, Nony lost the previous Assembly elections to Congress’ Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi by a narrow margin.

Dr Upinderjit Kaur (77)

Sultanpur Lodhi

She was the first woman Finance Minister in the country. With a doctorate in economics, Dr Kaur was the most qualified minister in the 2007 Akali Cabinet. She was first elected MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi on SAD ticket in 1997. Dr Kaur again contested from the segment in 2002 and 2007.

Paramjit Singh Pamma (58)

Kapurthala

The brother-in-law of Congress leader Hans Raj Hans, Paramjit Singh Pamma has been in the SAD for more than 20 years. At 24 years, he was the youngest Kapurthala Nagar Council president. Pamma was at the helm of Nagar Council affairs thrice.

Pawan Tinu (49)

Adampur

He is known for his people-friendly image and a good rapport with the Opposition. Tinu’s non-controversial image prompted the SAD to field him from Adampur again. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2012.

Baldev Singh Khaira (37)

Phillaur

A former BSP leader, he had joined the SAD in July. When in Mayawati’s party, he was termed the “strongest BSP face in Doaba”. Khaira belongs to the Ravidassia community. He has got the ticket because Akali MLA and CPS Avinash Chander is embroiled in the Jagdish Bhola drug case.

Ajit Singh Kohar (76)

Shahkot

Transport Minister Kohar first won on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket from Lohian in 1997. He won back to back from the same constituency in 2002 and 2007. In 2012, he contested successfully from Shahkot after delimitation.

Seth Satpal Mal (62)

Kartarpur

Mal joined the SAD after quitting the Congress last month. He is a close associate of Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Dass, who enjoys a large following among Ravidassias in the Doaba. Mal's entry into the SAD was perceived as a bright sign for the party.

Sarabjit Singh Makkar (57)

Jalandhar Cantt

Former hockey player Pargat Singh’s exit from the SAD has benefitted Makkar, chairman of the Kapurthala District Planning Committee. He courted controversy after his nephew’s name surfaced in the Gikky Sekhon murder case. But this could not dent his popularity among SAD leaders. His candidature from Jalandhar Cantt is a testimony to that.

Didar Singh Bhatti (64)

Fatehgarh Sahib

He was elected to the Assembly from Fatehgarh Sahib for the first time in 2007. He had defeated three-time Congress MLA Harbans Lal by 24,000 votes. In 2012, the SAD denied him the ticket. So, he joined Manpreet Badal’s PPP. He was back in the SAD in 2012. He was made the halqa incharge in 2014.

Darshan Singh Shivalik (61)

Gill

Sitting legislator from Dakha, he started his political career as a councillor from ward number 44 of Ludhiana City. A diploma holder and an intermediate, he holds many important portfolios in the party. He was elevated as Parliamentary Secretary in the Punjab Government recently. He is two-time MLA from two different constituencies.

Ishar Singh Meharban (68)

Payal

Two-time Congress legislator and former minister, he did BSc (agriculture engineering) from PAU. Having contested elections from five segments, he won elections in 1992 and 2007, but lost by 206 votes from Jagraon constituency in the last elections.

Ranjit Singh Talwandi (60)

Khanna

A former MLA, he fought the 2012 elections from Khanna, but lost to Congress MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli by 7,200 votes. A graduate, he had fought his first election as MLA in 1997 from Raikot and was elected.

Santa Singh Umaidpuri (65)

Samrala

Chairman of the Subordinate Services Selection Board, Umaidpuri served as district president of the Akali Dal, rural Ludhiana, for 10 years since 2006. He also remained general secretary, Akali Dal, Ludhiana, for 20 years.

Manpreet Ayali (41)

Dakha

Born into a farmers’ family, he won the 2102 Assembly elections from Dakha by defeating Congress candidate Jassi Khangura. He served as zila parishad chairman, president co-operative society, Ayali Khurd, and sarpanch of his native village.

Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal (42)

Raikot

Son of Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal, he holds important positions in the youth wing of the Akali Dal. He was a former legislator during the Congress regime. Atwal is the spokesman of the youth wing of the party.

Sharanjit Singh Dhillon (63)

Sahnewal

A law graduate, he became the Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and Minister of PWD in 2012. Prior to this, he was Chairman, Agro Industry, Punjab, MP, Ludhiana, and president of the YAD. He is currently the Irrigation Minister.

Amarjit Kaur Sahoke (42)

Jagraon

Wife of Bhupinder Singh Sahoke, president of the SC/ST wing of SAD, she is the district president of the Mahila Akali Dal Moga (rural). She was born in Manuke village near Jagraon. A graduate, she fought the zila parishad elections in 2013 and was elected zila parishad chairperson from Bilaspur.

Ranjit Singh Dhillon (51)

Ludhiana East

An agriculturist, he defeated Congress’ Gurmail Singh Pehalwan by a margin of 4,569 votes in the 2012 Assembly elections. He has a degree in “Gayani”.

Gurmeet Singh Kular (44)

Atam Nagar

A postgraduate in computer sciences and a businessman, he will be fighting elections for the first time. He is into cycle and cycle parts business.

Hira Singh Gabria (68)

Ludhiana South

A Class X passout, he fought the last Assembly elections from the Atam Nagar constituency, but lost to Independent candidate Simarjeet Singh Bains.

Virsa Singh Valtoha (53)

khemkaran

Former activist of the All-India Sikh Student Federation, he is known for his hold on the hardliner Sikhs. He was elected MLA for the first time from Valtoha constituency in 2007 by defeating Congress candidate Gurchet Singh Bhullar. In 2012, Valtoha constituency underwent boundary delimitation. He contested the Khemkaran seat and defeated Bhullar by 13,102 votes.

Nand Lal (70)

balachaur

A four-time MLA, Nand Lal has picked because of his no-nonsense image. In 2012, he had defeated a BSP candidate to be elected from Balachaur. He had defeated a Congress candidate in 2007 elections. Known to approachable and amiable, he has the support of Gujjars.

Jarnail Singh Wahid

Nawanshahr

Markfed Chairman Jarnail Singh Wahid is said to be close to Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. He is one of the SAD leaders being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. As a member of the Staff Selection Board, he was arrested in 2002 on the charge of irregularities in appointments.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi

Banga

Sukhwinder Sukhi is the chairman of the SAD's Nawanshahr District Planning Committee. He is a former BSP leader. In 2012, the SAD had fielded Mohan Lal from the segment. This time, the party has reposed faith in Sukhi.