The Congress party on Tuesday officially declared two-time MP Sher Singh Ghubaya as its candidate for the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, slated for elections on June 1. With this announcement, the Congress has finalized candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

Ghubaya had previously represented Ferozepur in 2009 and 2014 as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate. After parting ways with the Akali Dal in 2017, he contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on the Congress ticket but was defeated by Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

At 61, Ghubaya, belonging to the Rai Sikh community, holds significant influence in the Ferozepur constituency. He previously served as an MLA twice from Jalalabad, a key assembly segment within Ferozepur, in 1997 and 2007, representing the Akali Dal.

His son, Davinder Singh Ghubaya, is a former Congress MLA. Although Davinder won on a Congress ticket from Fazilka in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, he faced defeat in the 2022 Punjab Vidhan Sabha election.

In the electoral arena, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Muktsar MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar for Ferozepur, while the Akali Dal has chosen Nardev Singh Mann, son of former MP Zora Singh Mann. The BJP is yet to reveal its candidate for Ferozepur.

The Ferozepur parliamentary constituency, primarily rural, boasts a significant Rai Sikh population, comprising nearly 15 percent. This community holds substantial sway in determining the constituency's representative, with Ghubaya relying on their support to secure a third victory in the region.

The Congress's announcement of Ghubaya's candidacy coincides with the commencement of the nomination filing for the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for June 1. From Wednesday, the Congress candidates will start filing their nomination papers.