‘Sting’ does no harm to sitting MP

Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 2

Overlooking a recent ‘sting’ conducted by a private channel against sitting Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh (71), the Congress high command today chose to retain him as the candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll.

His family is in New Delhi and is expected to return by train day after. His son and ex-Punjab YC chief Vikramjit Chaudhary said this evening they had received a call from state party in-charge Asha Rani regarding confirmation of the ticket.

A Ravidassia, Chaudhary was state minister in the previous Congress tenure. His father Master Gurbanta Singh and brother Chaudhary Jagjit Singh too have been Punjab ministers. His ticket clearance has come as a huge disappointment for former MP Mahinder S Kaypee and former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, who had been awaiting to regain space in active politics. Sitting Jalandhar West MLA Sushil Rinku too had been eyeing the ticket and had been actively campaigning for the party with his workers at all prominent places in the city.

All in fray from Jalandhar are lawyers 

After clearance of the name of Chaudhary Santokh Singh  from Jalandhar as the Congress candidate, it can now be said candidates of all parties from the seat are lawyers by qualification. SAD candidate Charanjit Atwal practised law for 25 years. AAP candidate Justice Zora Singh (retd) too is from the same field. Chaudhary is a law graduate. Even BSP candidate Balwinder Kumar is pursuing his education in law.