162 Congress, AAP candidates file nominations

Congress mayoral candidate Savita Garg and AAP candidate Pritam Pal Khera and their candidates for the posts of councillor filed their papers on the last day of the nominations today.

Of the total 26 wards, the Congress has fielded 20 candidates on the party symbol, and supported six Independent candidates.

Fourteen wards are in the Panipat City Assembly constituency while 12 are in the Panipat rural constituency.

Savita Garg, along with party leaders Varinder Kumar Shah, Rajkumar Pahwa, Rakesh Chugh and Johny Chawla, reached the Congress office and held a roadshow.

Shah said the Congress would contest on the main issues of corruption and poor development in the city. He said 10 candidates had been fielded on the party symbol, while in four wards, the party supported Independent candidates.

In the Panipat City Assembly constituency, the Congress supported Independent candidates in Wards 4, 12, 19 and 18.

Sachin Kundu, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly poll from the Panipat rural seat, said the party had fielded 10 candidates on the symbol and had extended support to two Independent candidates — Jai Kumar Bindal (Ward 6) and Saroj Verma, wife of former mayor Suresh Verma (Ward 8).

Meanwhile, Pritam Pal Singh Khera, AAP’s mayoral candidate, filed his nomination in the presence of party state chief Sushil Gupta, and other leaders.

AAP leader Surender Ahlawat said apart from the mayoral candidate, 15 candidates for councillors’ post had also filed their nomination today. The party would highlight the "anti-public policies, unemployment and poor development" of the city.

Braham Prakash, SDM and Returning Officer, said 156 candidates for councillors’ post had filed their nomination from all 26 wards in the city, while six candidates had filed their nominations for the mayoral post.