New Delhi, Jan 6: Congress today announced the names of 114 candidates for the forthcoming Punjab Assembly polls.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh and his son Raninder Singh are among the 114 Congress candidates whose names were released today,with the party fielding the kin of many top leaders from the state. The Congress list includes former deputy chief minister
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and her son-in-law Vikram Singh Bajwa. PCC chief Amarinder Singh will contest from Patiala urban seat and Bhattal from Lehra seat, Raninder will contest from Samana and Bhattal's son-in-law Vikram is the party candidate from Sahnewal.
Despite a demand from within the party for not granting tickets to close relatives of senior leaders, the list also includes the kin of atleast four Congress MPs from the state.
While Charanjeet Kaur Bajwa, wife of Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, will contest from Qadian assembly constituency, Suman Kaypee, wife of Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, is the party candidate from Jalandhar West (SC) constituency, Ram Lubhaya, husband of Hoshiarpur MP Santosh Chowdhary, will contest from Sham Chaurasi (SC) seat and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, brother of Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, is contesting from Khanna constituency.
The Congress party, which is trying to regain power in the state from the Akali-BJP combine, has relied on the old guard with a majority of its sitting MLAs finding a place in the party list with some adjustments after delimitation.
Only five sitting MLAs were denied party ticket, while the kin of atleast three sitting MLAs have been fielded.
The Congress list for elections to the 117-member assembly also has atleast 24 new faces. The remaining ones are either former MLAs or those who lost the last elections.
Among the party MLAs who were not granted the ticket this time are Gurdip Singh Bhaini from Jagraon, Hamohinder Singh Pardhan from Raikot, Kuldeep Singh Bhattal from Dhanaula, Sher Singh Gaggowal from Mansa and Tej Parkash Singh (son of former chief minister Beant Singh) from Payal seat.
While Tej Parkash Singh's confidante Lakhvir Singh Lakha has been given the Payal (Reserve) ticket, his son Gurkirat has been granted the ticket from Khanna.
Prominent among those who were denied party ticket included P S Bhinder, the husband of former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, besides Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa's brother Fateh Jung Bajwa, who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly polls from Kahnuwan.
Former Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh has been given the party ticket in place of his wife and sitting MLA Rana Rajbans Kaur, Karan Kaur Brar has been adjusted against her husband and sitting MLA Kanwarjit Singh Brar (son of former state chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar) from Muktsar constituency.
Harbans Kaur Dullo, wife of former Pradesh Congress chief Shamsher Singh Dullo, has been granted the party ticket from Bassi Pathanan (SC) seat. Dullo himself has been denied ticket as he was asking for the Khanna seat after its de-reservation.
Two of the former Akali leaders who defected from the newly-formed Punjab People's Party led by Manpreet Badal have also managed to find a place in the Congress list. These are Jagbir Singh Brar from Jalandhar Cantt and SGPC member Kaka Surjit Singh Lohgarh from Dharamkot, while the third Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon did not get his ticket from Faridkot.
Following is the list of candidates:
Gurdaspur Dist:
Pathankot - Raman Bhalla
Gurdaspur - Raman Behl
Dina Nagar SC - Smt Aruna Chaudhary
Qadian - Charanjeet Kaur Bajwa
Batala - Ashwini Sekhri
Sri Hargovindpur SC - Balvinder Singh Laddi
Fatehgarh Churian - Tript Rajinder Bajwa
Dera Baba Nank - Sukhjinder Randhawa
Amritsar Dist:
Ajnala - Harpratap Singh Ajnala
Raja Sansi - Sukhvinder Sarkaria
Majitha - Shailender jit Shailly
Jandiala SC - Shardul Singh
Amritsar North - Ashwini Kumar Pappu
Amritsar West SC - rajkumar Verka
Amritsar Central - O. P. Soni
Amritsar East Mrs. Simpreet Kaur Bhatia
Amritsar South - Jasbir Singh (Dimpa)
Attar SC - Tarsem Singh
Tarn Taran - Dr Dharamveer Agnihotri
Khem Karan - Gurchet Singh Bhullar
Patti - Harminder Singh Gill
Khadoor Sahib - Ramanjit Singh Sikki
Baba Bakala SC - Ranjit Chhajalwadi
Kapurthala dist :
Bhulath : Sukhpal Singh Khaira
Kapurthala - Rana Gurjeet Singh
Sultanpur Lodhi - Navtej Singh Cheema
Phagwara SC - Balvir Raja Sodhi
Jalandhar dist:
Phillaur SC - Ch Santokh Singh
Nakodar - Amarjit Singh Samra
Shahkot - C. D. Kamboj
Kartarpur SC - Ch. Jagjit Singh
Jalandhar West SC - Smt Suman Kaypee
Jalandhar Central - Raj Kumar Gupta
Jalandhar North Avtar Henry
Jalandhar Cantt - Jagbir Singh Brar
Adampur SC - Satnam SIngh Kainth
Hoshiarpur Dist :
Mukerian - Ajit Kumar Narang
Dasuya - Ramesh Chander Dogra
Urmar - Sangat Singh Gilzian
Sham Chaurasi SC - Ch. Ram Lubhaya
Hoshiarpur - Sunder Shyam Arora
Chhabewal SC - Dr Raj Kumar
Garhshankar - Lov Kumar Goldy
Nawanshahr Dist:
Banga SC - Tarlochan Singh
Nawanshahr - Ms Gur Iqbal Kaur
Balachaur - Rajwinder Singh Lucky
Rupnagar Dist :
Anandpur Sahib - Rana Kanwar Pal Singh
Roopnagar - Romesh Dutt Sharma
chamkaur Sahib SC - Charanjit Singh Channi
Kharar - Jagmohan Singh Kang
SAS Nagar - Balbir Singh Sidhu
Fatehgarh Sahib dist:
Bassi Pathana SC - Smt Harbans Kaur Dullo
Fatehgarh Sahib - Kuljit Singh Nagra
Amloh - Randeep Singh Nabha
Ludhiana Dist:
Khanna- Gurkirat Singh Kohli
Samrala - Amrik Singh Dhillon
Sahniwal - Vikram Singh Bajwa
Ludhiana East - Gurmail Singh Pehalwan
Ludhiana South - Ashok Parashar Pappi
Atma Nagar - Malkit Singh Birmi
Ludhiana Central - Surendra Dwar
Ludhiana West - Bharat Bhushan Ashu
Ludhiana North - Rakesh Pandey
Gill Sc - Malkiat Singh Dhaka
Payal SC - Lakhvir Singh Lakha
Dhaka - Jasbir Singh Khangura
Rajkot SC - Gurcharan Singh Boparai
Jagraon SC - Ishar Singh Meherban
Moga dist:
Nihalsingh wala SC - Ajit Singh Shant
Baghapurana - Darshan Singh Brar
Moga - Joginder Pal Jain '
Dharamkot - Kaka Surjit Singh Lohgarh
Firozpur dist :
Zira - Naresh Kataria
Firozpur City - Parminder Singh Pinki
Firzpur Rural SC - Smt Satkar Kaur
Guru Har Sahai - Gurmeet Singh Sodhi
Jalalabad - Malkiat Singh
Fazilka - Dr Mohinder rinwa
Abohar - Sunil Kumar Jakhar
Balluana SC - Giri Raj Rajoura
Muktsar dist :
Lambi - Mahesh Inder Singh Badal
Gidderbaha - Amrinder Singh Raja Warring
Malout - Nathuram
Muktsar - Smt Karan Kaur Brar
Faridkot dist:
Faridkot - Avtar Singh Brar
Kotkapura - Ripujit Singh
Jaitu SC - Smt Joginder Singh Panjgrain
Bathinda dist :
Rampura phul - Gurpreet Singh Kangar
Bhucho Mandi SC - Ajab Singh Bhatti
Bathinda Urban - Harminder singh Jassi
Bathinda rural SC - Makhan Singh
Talwandi Sabo - Jeet Mohinder Sidhu
Maur - Mangat Rai Bansal
Mansa dist :
Sardulgarh - Ajit Inder Mofar
Budhlada SC - Satpal Singh Mulewala
Sangrur dist:
Lehra - Smt Rajinder Kaur Bhattal
Dirba SC - Ajaib Singh Rataul
Sunam - Aman Arora
Bhadaur SC - Mohd Sadique
Barnala - Kewal Singh Dhillon
Mehal Kalan SC - Smt Harchand Kaur
Malerkotla - Smt Razia Sultana
Amargarh - Surjit Singh Dhiman
Dhuri - Arvind Khanna
Sangrur - Surinder Pal Singh Sibia
Patiala dist
Nabha SC - Sadhu Singh Dharamsot
Patiala Rural - Brahm Mohindra
Rajpura - Hardayal Singh
Dera Bassi - Jasjit Singh Randhawa
Ghanaur - Madanlal Jalalpur
Sanour - Lal Singh
Patiala - Capt Amarinder Singh
Samana - Raninder Singh
Shutrana SC - Nirmal Singh
