SAD fields former minister Parminder Dhindsa from Sangrur

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Friday decided to field former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa from Sangrur for the Lok Sabha elections.

An announcement in this regard was made by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in a party release here.

Dhindsa is son of former union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa who had resignedas SAD's secretary general and from its core committee,citing health reasons last year.

Sangrur is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by Aam Aadmi Party Punjab chief Bhagwant Mann. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the seat.

Akali Dal had already announced its candidates for five seats. It has fielded sitting MP Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib, former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra from Patiala, former IAS officer Darbara Singh Guru from Fatehgarh Sahib (reserve), former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib and former deputy speaker of Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal from Jalandhar (reserve) seat.

Out of the total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, the Akali Dal will contest 10 while its ally BJP will fight on three seats as per the seat-sharing arrangement.

The seven-phased Lok Sabha polls will be held from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23. Punjab will go to polls in a single phase on May 19.