Cong releases 1st list of 61 candidates for Punjab polls

Congress today released its first list of 61 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab, fielding state unit chief Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi and Sunil Jakhar.
The party has retained 31 sitting MLAs, while dropping only three including Preneet Kaur, who made way for her husband Amarinder from the Patiala Urban Assembly seat.
The Congress has chosen seven new faces backed by "strong credibility and winnability criteria".
The list includes five youths, six women, eight former MLAs and one former MP.
The names were cleared earlier by the Central Election Committee headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Amarinder said since there were too many aspirants, those who could not make it to the final list for Assembly polls will be accommodated once the party forms its government. He appealed to all Congress workers to come together to campaign for the party's victory in Punjab.

He said winnability is key criteria for selection and chose to go with winnable candidates across various cross-sections, striking a balance between youth, new faces and experience while giving adequate representation to women.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, who had joined the Congress a few months ago, will contest from the Bathinda Urban Assembly seat, while former Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla will contest from the Sangrur Assembly seat.

Party's Punjab unit Vice President Sunil Jakhar will contest from Abohar, from where he is the sitting MLA, while former deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal will contest from her Lehra Assembly constituency and CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamkaur Sahib (SC), from where he is the sitting MLA.
Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi will fight on the Congress ticket from Guru Har Sahai, while former minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa has been nominated from the Fategarh Churian seat.
The ticket for the high-profile Majithia constituency has gone to Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majthia, while Rana Gurjit Singh will contest from Kapurthala.

Former IAS officer and former Moga Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Vaid, has bagged the party ticket from Gill reserved constituency.
Three sitting MLAs have been changed under "one family, one candidate rule".
While Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa's wife Charanjit Kaur Bajwa has been replaced with his brother Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa in the Qadian Assembly seat, sitting Nawan Shahar MLA Gur Iqbal Kaur Babli has given way to her son Angad Saini.
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The Congress nominee from Raikot reserved seat is Amar Singh, the vice president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and brother of sitting MLA Gurcharan Singh Boparai.

Party's sitting MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon will contest from the Barnala seat, while Ashwani Sekri will contest from Batala and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from Dera Baba Nanak.
Rana Gurjeet Singh will contest from Kapurthala, Ramanjit Singh Sikki from Khadoor Sahib, Harminder Singh Gill from Patti, Dharamvir Agnihotri from Tarn Taran, former Mayor Om Prakash Soni from Amritsar Central, Raj Kumar Verka from Amritsar West (SC), and Sukhwinder Singh Danny from Jandiala (SC) seat.
Of the six women, four have been fielded from the reserved constituencies of Ferozepur Rural (Satkar Kaur), Mehalkalan (Harchand Kaur, sitting MLA), Budhlada (Ranjit Kaur Batti) and Dina Nagar (sitting MLA Aruna Chaudhary).

The other two women in the fray are Razia Sultan from Malerkotla and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, sitting MLA from Lehra.
The party has fielded Kulbir Singh Zira, son of Congress Kisan Cell chairman Inderjit Singh Zira, from Zira.