Kaypee rules out rejoining Congress

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, June 17

As AAP announced Mohinder Bhagat as its candidate for the Jalandhar West bypoll this afternoon, the BJP followed the suit within almost an hour by nominating former MLA Sheetal Angural as its candidate.

However, as the Congress held back the announcement of candidature of its probable and former Deputy Mayor Surinder Kaur, this led to speculations that former Congress MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee could join back the party and become its nominee. However, Kaypee later denied any such speculations and said that he had no such intentions.

‘I am with Akali Dal’

I am very much with the Akali Dal and there is no question of rejoining the Congress. I am holding discussions with the SAD chief about the candidate. Our party will finalise the candidate most probably by Tuesday evening. —Mohinder Singh Kaypee

“I am very much with the Akali Dal and there is no question of rejoining the Congress. I am holding discussions with the SAD chief about the candidate. Our party will finalise the candidate most probably by tomorrow evening,” he said.

Since Kaypee is related to Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi as his daughter is wedded to the latter’s nephew, he decided to quit the Congress to contest against Channi. While Channi had won the Lok Sabha elections polling 3.9 lakh votes, Kaypee was at distant fourth polling only 67,911 votes and getting his security deposit forfeited. Moreover, Kaypee had only polled 2,623 votes from the Jalandhar West Assembly segment, the bypoll of which is scheduled for July 10.

Kaypee said: “When I had last contested the MLA elections from the area, it was not Jalandhar West. It was called as Jalandhar South and delimitation was done after that.” He remained MLA from Jalandhar South thrice in 1985, 1992 and 2002.

On the announcement of Congress candidate, Channi said: “It may take another day or two”. The Congress has left it completely upon Channi to lead the party for the bypoll. The party is planning to base the entire campaign on Channi’s name”.

It will be third day tomorrow for filing nomination papers for the bypoll. So far, no candidate has filed any papers. The last day for filing nomination papers is June 21.

Kaypee’s security deposit forfeited in LS poll

While Charanjit Singh Channi had won the Lok Sabha elections polling 3.9 lakh votes, Mohinder Singh Kaypee was at distant fourth polling only 67,911 votes and getting his security deposit forfeited. Moreover, Kaypee had only polled 2,623 votes from the Jalandhar West Assembly segment, the bypoll of which is scheduled for July 10.