Sukhpal Khaira likely to contest from Sangrur, Charanjit Channi Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, April 10

After Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said winning the Sangrur and Jalandhar parliamentary seats would be a question of prestige for his party, the Punjab Congress leadership has decided to give AAP a tough fight by fielding strong candidates from the two seats.

During a recent event in Jalandhar, Mann had stated that his party had to win both seats at any cost. While Mann himself won from Sangrur twice, the party snatched the Jalandhar seat from the Congress in the bypoll last year. Sushil Rinku won it for AAP after leaving the Congress. Now, Rinku has switched to the BJP and is the party candidate from the Jalandhar.

CLP Leader Partap Bajwa said the Congress would give a tough fight to opponents, especially AAP. “After the CM had announced that winning the two seats would be crucial for AAP, we are going to give strong candidates on both seats. We will give the AAP candidates run for their money,” he said.

While the BJP has announced the candidature of Sushil Rinku from Jalandhar, AAP, SAD and the Congress have yet to announce the candidates. The Congress has already decided to field former CM Charanjit Singh Channi from Jalandhar. The official announcement is expected by April 14.

Though AAP had won the Jalandhar bypoll least year, the seat remains a Congress stronghold.

For the Sangrur seat, the party is strongly in favour of fielding sitting Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira. “He is the best candidate to take on Mann in his citadel. Though there are other leaders who have been the victim of AAP’s political vendetta, Khaira has suffered the most as he was arrested on the day he was granted bail by the high court in a drugs case. He has been regularly hitting out at AAP and will give a befitting reply,” said a senior party leader.

After Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary resigned from the post of the party’s chief whip over Channi’s candidature, the party leadership is wary of Chaudhary switching to AAP.

PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the party would give best candidates on all seats.

Will give tough fight

After CM Bhagwant Mann had announced that winning the two seats would be crucial for AAP, we are going to give strong candidates on both seats. We will give AAP candidates run for their money. — Partap Singh Bajwa, CLP leader

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