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Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday announced the first list of 64 candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections to be held early next year.
In the first list, the party has largely relied on the old guard, including candidates contesting the 2017 elections. However, there are some new faces as well.
SAD chief and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also a Lok Sabha member from Faridkot, will contest from his Jalalabad seat, which he had given up after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Former cabinet minister Jathedar Tota Singh will contest from Dharamkot, while his son Makhan Barjinder Singh will contest from Moga.
The party is yet to announce the names of candidates who will contest from Lambi, a seat held by Sukhbir’s father and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, and Majitha, the seat of Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and former revenue minister Bikram Singh. Majithia.
This is the first time that the party has announced the names of more than half of its candidates a few months before the elections. “We are a regional party and decisions are taken easily. There is no party high command sitting in Delhi to delay things. Also, due to Covid and uncertainty, we have announced seats so that candidates get enough time to campaign,” said Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, a senior party leader who is also in the first list.
Meanwhile, party sources said the SAD’s decision to announce the first list of candidates also pertains to the farmers’ unions’ request to political parties to abstain from campaigning till the dates are announced.
A senior party leader told ThePrint, “This will help candidates mobilize their supporters and workers at the grassroots level and work in small groups within the constituency before it can help in larger rallies.”
Read also: AAP, Akali Dal leaders oppose ‘unfair’ farmers’ appeal to stop campaigning in Punjab
BSP will fight on 20 seats
The SAD will field candidates in at least a dozen seats out of the 23 seats it shared with the BJP before leaving the NDA alliance last year. In June, the BSP, which has an alliance with the SAD, will contest on 20 seats.
When the SAD forged an alliance with the BJP, it contested 94 seats, while the saffron party contested 23 seats.
In the erstwhile BJP seats, veteran leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal will contest from Ludhiana West. Several new faces have also been inducted – Raj Kumar Gupta will contest from Sujanpur, Chandan Grewal from Jalandhar Central, Sarabjit Singh Sabi from Mukerian and Preetpal Singh Pali from Ludhiana Central.
The party does not expect any revolt after the announcement. There is hope only in the Fatehgarh Sahib seat, where Didar Singh Bhatti has been replaced with Jagdeep Singh Cheema, son of former cabinet minister Randhir Singh Cheema.
Another party veteran, Harish Rai Dhanda, will contest from the Atma Nagar seat, replacing Gurmeet Singh Kular, a businessman who had announced in July that he would not contest.
turncoat rewarded
The party has also rewarded turncoats in its first list. Anil Joshi, who recently quit the BJP to join the SAD, will contest from his old seat in Amritsar North. Former Congress leader Hans Raj Josan will contest from Fazilka. Former MLA Jagbir Singh Brar, who quit Congress to join SAD, will contest from Jalandhar Cantonment.
Another former Congressman, Jagmeet Singh Brar has been fielded from Maur in Bathinda, a seat previously held by cabinet minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon in the Badal government. Sekhon will now contest from Zira.
Other cabinet ministers who have been given tickets in the Badal government include Daljit Singh Cheema, who will contest from his home seat, Ropar; Sikandar Singh Maluka from Rampura Phool; Sharanjit Singh Dhillon from Sahnewal; and Gulzar Singh Ranike from Attari (SC).
Read also: Amarinder’s 5 Vs Sidhu’s 5 – Key Players Of Punjab Congress Fight For Supremacy
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