Education no factor in selecting candidates!

Karam Prakash

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Patiala, February 5

Five of the eight Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates from the Assembly constituencies of the district are not even graduates. As per the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission by the candidates, four of them have passed Class XII and one is matriculate.

The AAP candidate from Patiala (Rural), Dr Balbir Singh, an eye surgeon, has the highest qualification. From Patiala (Urban), Ajitpal Singh Kohli of AAP has done Masters of Arts (MA) in English from Punjabi University.

Meanwhile, three candidates fielded by the grand old party, the Congress, have not cleared even Class XII. The Congress candidate from Patiala (Urban), Vishnu Sharma, has passed Class IX only and appeared for matric exams as a private candidate.

Another Congress candidate, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, who is a former Cabinet minister, is matriculate, revealed his affidavit. Dharamsot is fighting election from Nabha.

Madan Lal Jalalpur, who is the sitting Congress MLA from Ghanaur, has passed only the middle class exam from a government school, stated the candidate in the nomination form.

Among Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates, one is matriculate and another is Class XII pass out.

Harinder Pal Chandumajra, the SAD candidate from Sanour, has done BTech and LLB. Patiala SAD candidate Harpal Juneja is also a law graduate. Vaninder Kaur Loomba, the SAD candidate from Shutrana, holds a master’s degree in economics.