Congress releases list of candidates for Punjab polls; CM Channi to contest from Chamkaur Sahib

Channi will be defending his sitting seat; earlier there were discussions on fielding the Chief Minister from two seats

Congress on Saturday announced the first list of 86 candidates for Punjab Assembly elections, fielding Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamkaur Sahib and state party chief Navjot Singh Siddhu from Amritsar East. Kin of top Punjab Congressmen, a controversial Punjabi singer, sister of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood among others appear prominently in the list of 86 Congress candidates for the ensuing assembly elections in Punjab.

Channi and Sidhu will be defending their sitting seats. It is likely that the party fields the Chief Minister from another segment in Doaba region also in wake of his popularity as a Dalit leader. The Dalit votes in Punjab was a major factor in deciding him as the chief minister after the unceremonious exist of Capt Amarinder Singh.

Punjab has the highest percentage of population of Dalits at 33%.

The Congress high command has chosen to steer clear of controversy that could have been triggered by denying tickets to sitting MLAs and prominent leaders.

Congress Manifesto Committee chairman and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Bajwa has been fielded from Qaidan, which was represented by his brother Fateh Jung, who crossed over to the BJP. There are at least four women on the list of Congress nominees.

However, Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Sunil Jakhar has not found his name in the first list while his nephew and Youth Congress leader Sandeep Jakhar has been fielded 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.

Firebrand Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November in connection with a money laundering case, will contest the election from his stronghold Bholath constituency. Most of the sitting cabinet ministers have been retained in the first list.

Punjab has 117 assembly segments that will go to poll on February 14. The counting of votes will be on March 10 along with four other states.

The announcement of the first list was delayed following claims and counter claims by senior leaders in the state. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had earlier asked Screening Committee chairman Ajay Maken to review the situation and suggest names.

Deputy Chief Minister Om Prakash Soni will contest from his sitting seat Amritsar Central while another Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa has been fielded from Dera Baba Nanak.

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 cases in Courts.

Sidhu's close aide and minister Pargat Singh will fight from Jalandhar Cantt. Turncoat MLAs like Rupinder Ruby, a former AAP MLA, also has found space in the first list.

Ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Ludhiana West), Aruna Chaudhury (Dina Nagar), Tript Rajinder Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian), Rana Gurjeet Singh (Kapurthala), Manpreet Badal (Bathinda-Urban), Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmar) and Gurkirat Kotli (Khanna) are also in the list.

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