Top cops, bureaucrats, politicians' kin in fray

It’s a mad rush for party tickets  in Punjab. Among the list of lucky ones so far are Punjab’s top cops, senior bureaucrats who until recently held coveted posts in the incumbent regime, kin of politicians, wives of policemen and even some tainted faces.

The lurking desire among top policemen, including till recently  DGP P S Gill, had become evident much before their names were announced last week. There are over one dozen IAS, IPS and PCS officers in the poll fray, some declared party nominees.

A 1975-batch IAS officer D S Guru, who resigned last month, has been given SAD ticket. Guru  was the principal secretary to the CM. The SAD has gone in for P S Gill from Moga assembly seat. Gill was Punjab DGP till September, after which he was appointed Adviser to Home department.  Gill’s father was a Congress MLA from Moga. Additional commissioner S R Kler, who resigned from government service in December joined SAD and is contesting from Jagraon. Congress and BJP are yet to announce their list of candidates.

Former Punjab and Maharashtra DGP S S Virk has sought a Congress ticket from Dasuya. Former ADGP Izhar Alam was vying for SAD ticket from Muslim dominated Malerkotla seat. But now his wife will contest. Razia Sultana, wife of another senior cop, is likely to be  Cong nominee from Malerkotla. She is a sitting MLA and has twice won the seat. Sukhdev Singh, a former SP in CM's security, is also in poll fray, besides a former municipal commissioner A S Kang. Former SSP from Fatehgarh Sahib, R S Khatra, has also joined the Akali Dal.

The list of relatives of politicians in poll fray is long. Bikram Singh Majitha is  brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal and party nominee from Majitha. Adesh Partap Singh Kairon is party nominee from Patti and Sukhbir’s brother-in-law. The son of former MP Zora Singh Mann has been declared SAD nominee. Son of senior SAD leader and RS member Balwinder Singh Bhundar has also been fielded. Wife of ex-minister Gurcharan Singh Tohra is party candidate from Patiala rural. Some leaders fielded by SAD are facing various charges in courts.

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