Kin of top Punjab Congressmen, a controversial Punjabi singer, sister of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood among others appear prominently on the list of 86 Congress candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections in Punjab.
The state has 117 Assembly segments that will go to polls on February 14.
In the first list of candidates that it announced on Saturday, the Congress high command has chosen to steer clear of controversy by ensuring that sitting MLAs and prominent leaders are not denied tickets.
Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu will contest from Amritsar East from where he is a sitting MLA.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will defend his current Assembly segment from Chamkaur Sahib.
The party is likely to field him from another segment in Doaba region also given his popularity as a Dalit leader. Dalit votes in Punjab were a major factor when he was chosen as the chief minister after the unceremonious exit of Capt Amarinder Singh. Punjab has the highest percentage of Dalits at 33%.
Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa has been fielded from Qadian Assembly constituency in Gurdaspur.
His brother Fateh Jung was the sitting MLA from Qadian. Jung had switched sides to the BJP after he sensed that the Congress intended to give the Qadian ticket to his brother.
Congress Punjab campaign chief Sunil Jakhar is unlikely to contest the elections. His nephew Sandeep Jakhar has been given the ticket from Abohar. Mohit Mohindra, the son of Punjab minister Brahm Mohindra has been fielded from Patiala Rural while Malavika Sood, the sister of actor Sonu Sood has been given the ticket from Moga.
Controversial Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala has been given the ticket from Mansa. Moosewala joined the Congress last month and has been fielded from his hometown. The singer, who often brags about guns and the gun-toting culture in his music videos, faces many cases.
Firebrand Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November in connection with a money-laundering case, will contest from his stronghold Bholath. Most of the sitting Cabinet ministers have been retained in the first list.
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