Bharatiya Janata Party has laid its bet on its former Union Minister and five turncoats, including Congress’ two sitting MLAs, for February 20 polls in Punjab. The BJP’s second list of 27 candidates also includes three female candidates, including the former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Seema Kumari from Bhoa reserved segment.
The party has fielded former Union Minister of State and the National Commission of Scheduled Caste chairman Vijay Sampla from Phagwara reserve seat, while National Commission for Minorities and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura has been given ticket from Ropar.
Congress’ two sitting MLAs — Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and Moga MLA Dr Harjot Kamal — who shifted their loyalties towards the saffron party earlier, have been fielded from Batala and Moga, respectively.
While Dr Kamal will seek his re-election from Moga against Bollywood actor Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood, Fateh Jung’s constituency has been changed.
His elder brother and senior Congress leader Patap Singh Bajwa is contesting elections from Qadian on Congress ticket.
Another former Congressman who succeeded in securing a ticket is Jagdish Kumar Jagga — who left the Congress to join former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) about a month back, and went on to join the BJP a day before.
Appointed PLC’s general secretary a fortnight back on his joining, Jagga has also served as Pepsu Township Development Board’s former senior vice-chairman.
The development is significant as the BJP is contesting the polls in alliance with Capt Amarinder’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).
Jagga outnumbered BJP’s senior leader in Punjab Harjit Singh Grewal to secure a party ticket from Rajpura.
Notably, Grewal, who has been eyeing the party ticket from Rajpura, played a role in mediating between the Union Government and the farmers over the issue of Centre’s three controversial farm laws. During this time, Grewal has faced farmers’ ire.
Former Akali MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar has been given ticket from Jalandhar Cantonment against Congress’ sitting MLA and Cabinet Minister Pargat Singh. Makkar had joined the BJP after the Shiromani Akali Dal denied him the ticket from Jalandhar Cantt.
Against the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in his bastion Chamkaur Sahib, BJP has fielded former Akali leader Darshan Singh Shivjot.
Besides, the party has fielded three women candidates in the second list. Former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Seema Kumari would once again seek re-election from Bhoa (SC), Balwinder Kaur from Attari (SC), and Vandana Sangwan from Baluana (SC) reserve seats. The party, in the first list of 35 candidates, has fielded two women candidates — Renu Kashyap from Dina Nagar; and Nimisha Mehta from Garhshankar.
In key segments, Rakesh Dhingra has been allotted ticket from Lambi against five-time former Chief Minister and SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal; Randeep Singh Deol against Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate and state unit chief Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri assembly segment.
Punjab BJP’s general secretary Dayal Singh Sodhi would contest from Maur assembly segment, from where SAD’s Jagmeet Brar has already filed his nominations. BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, former national vice-president Gurparvez Singh Sandhu has been fielded from Guru Har Sahai. Sanjiv Vashishth has been fielded from Mohali.
BJP’s three-time candidate from Ludhiana North, Praveen Bansal, has been given tickets from the constituency once again. Bansal, the former senior deputy mayor of Ludhiana, had lost to Congress candidate Rakesh Pandey in 2012 by a thin margin of 2,168 votes, and 5132 votes in 2017.
Among others, the party has fielded Parminder Singh Gill from Gurdaspur; Kuldeep Singh Kahlon from Dera Baba Nanak; Pradeep Singh Bhullar from Majitha; Kumar Amit Valmiki from Amritsar West (SC); Narinder Pal Singh Chandi from Shahkot; Dr Parminder Sharma from Anandpur Sahib; Ranjit Singh Gahlewal from Samrala; Dheeraj Kumar from Barnala; Gurpreet Singh Shahpur from Nabha (SC); and Vikas Sharma from Ghanaur.
The BJP has, so far, announced the names of 61 of its 65 candidates for the upcoming Punjab polls.
