JOIN USAs over one fourth of total electorate in Punjab are less than 30 years of age, 14 candidates out of 253 in fray for Lok Sabha polls in the State are under 30 years.
Youngest of 14 candidates are Mandeep Singh Bittu and Ashish who are 25 years of age each and are contesting as Independent from Anandpur Sahib and Bathinda parliamentary constituencies respectively, as per Election Commission information.
Among 14 candidates, Aam Aadmi Party nominee is 27-year old Jyoti Mann who will take on Pawan Kumar Tinu (SAD) and Santokh Singh Choudhary (Congress) from Jalandhar (Reserve) Lok Sabha seat.Among prominent political parties, SAD has fielded its youngest candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali (39) while Congress party’s youngest candidate is Ravneet Singh Bittu (38).
Both are pitted against each other from Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat. Out of total voters’ strength of 1.95 crore in Punjab, as many as 5.76 lakh voters and 48.02 lakh voters fall in age-wise category of 18-19 and 20-29 respectively.
Notably, Khadoor Sahib Parliamentary constituency has maximum number of voters with less than 30 years of age in Punjab at 4.59 lakh voters. The oldest among 253 candidates who are contesting for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab was AAP candidate from Amritsar seat Daljeet Singh who is 79 years of age.
Singh, who is a prominent eye surgeon in Amritsar city, is locked in a high stake poll battle with Congress candidate Amarinder Singh and BJP nominee Arun Jaitley. Meanwhile, out of the 253 contestants who are in Lok Sabha poll battle from Punjab, only 20 candidates are women.
Among all constituencies, Faridkot Parliamentary constituency has seen maximum number of women at five who are in fray. No woman is contesting from Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ferozepur Lok Sabha seats.
Out of 1.95 crore voters, 92.60 lakh voters are women in Punjab.Out of 253 candidates, 118 candidates are contesting as Independent while national parties, state parties and unrecognised registered parties have fielded 38, 10 and 87 candidates respectively, as per the Election Commission information.