Cong, BJP yet to name Gurdaspur candidates

Blurb: On seven seats in segment, SAD-BSP fields all, AAP six

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, December 10

Of the four main political outfits in contention for the Punjab elections, the SAD-BSP combine has announced candidates on all seven seats of the district, while the AAP has named six. The Congress and the BJP have yet to open their accounts.

With the AAP declaring Raman Bahl, a former chairman of the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB), as its candidate from Gurdaspur today, the party has now been left with just the Dera Baba Nanak seat from where to announce its nominee. It has already nominated Amarpal Singh (Sri Hargobindpur-Reserved), Sherry Kalsi (Batala), Balbir Singh Pannu (Fatehgarh Churian), Shamsher Singh (Dinanagar) and Jagrup Singh Sekhwan (Qadian).

Sources say the party may announce its Dera Baba Nanak candidate after it receives its latest survey report. The party is said to be taking into consideration various factors, including the fact that the Congress will be fielding its Deputy Chief Minister and party strongman Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from the seat. The SAD has already named youth leader Ravi Karan Kahlon.

Bahl candidature was on the cards ever since he quit as the PSSSB chairman last month. He is the son of four-time Congress MLA and former Cabinet minister Khushal Bahl. He started his political career in 1981 when he became an activist of the NSUI while studying law in Punjabi University, Patiala.

Bahl was engaged in a stiff fight with youth leader and agriculturist Baghel Singh. Sources say although Baghel worked hard and took the party’s ideology to the masses, it was the experience of Bahl that saw him through.

The SAD-BSP combine has made public all its seven candidates. Under the seat-sharing agreement between the two parties, Dinanagar has been given to the BSP, while the Akalis have kept the other six. Today, the BSP has announced Kamaljeet Singh Chawla as its nominee from Dinanagar.

The combine’s other nominees are: Ravi Karan Kahlon (Dera Baba Nanak), Gurbachan Singh Babbehali (Gurdaspur), Sucha Singh Chhotepur (Batala), Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal (Fatehgarh Churian), Rajanbir Singh Ghuman (Sri Hargobindpur-Reserved) and Guriqbal Singh Mahal (Qadian).