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Cong nominee to travel in former CM Beant Singh's car to file papers; says it's family tradition

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Press Trust of India Chandigarh

When Ravneet Singh Bittu goes to file his nomination as the Congress candidate from Ludhiana, he will travel in an old Ambassador that belonged to his grandfather and former chief minister Beant Singh, following a family tradition.

Beant Singh was killed in a bomb blast outside the Punjab and Haryana secretariat in Chandigarh in August 1995.

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Asked whether he considered the white, 1986-make car a lucky charm, the two-time MP suggested it was more than that.

Our family is emotionally connected with it. We feel we get the blessings of Beant Singh ji when we travel in this car, Bittu said.

 

He used to travel throughout Punjab in this car. He used to visit Punjab's villages in this car at a time when militancy was at its peak, he said Tuesday.

Bittu, who is seeking re-election from Ludhiana, will cover some of the distance in the car when he travels to the district administration complex to file his papers on Thursday.

It is a tradition in our family to travel in this car. When Beant Singh ji fought the 1992 elections, he went by this car to file the nomination papers, the 43-year-old said.

According to him, Beant Singh's son Tej Parkash Singh also used the car when he contested elections. So did his son Gurkirat Singh.

I also used this car for filling nomination papers for the 2009 and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Bittu told PTI.

The car which was parked at his home in Chandigarh was brought to Ludhiana a few days back.

Bittu is pitted against Akali Dal's Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Lok Insaaf Party's Simarjeet Singh Bains and Aam Aadmi Party's Tejpal Singh Gill.

Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place on May 19.

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First Published: Apr 23 2019 | 5:50 PM IST

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