Parkash Singh Badal (94) fielded from Lambi; Bikram Singh Majithia to face Navjot Sidhu in Amritsar (East)

The election fever in poll-bound Punjab further heated up on Wednesday with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announcing that its chief patron and five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will contest from Lambi assembly constituency. It also fielded Bikram Singh Majithia to take on Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar (East) seat.

Down with COVID-19, 94-year-old Badal has been touring Lambi constituency in the past couple of months along with his daughter-in-law and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal made the announcement regarding the senior Badal jumping in the election fray while campaigning in Bathinda on Wednesday.

It will be an interesting contest between two heavyweight politicians of Punjab from the keenly-watched Amritsar (East) seat in the forthcoming state Assembly elections to be held for 117 constituencies on February 20.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal made the announcement about Majithia in Amritsar.

Sukhbir said, “Sidhu get ready! Navjot Singh Sidhu de khilaf Majhe da sher Bikram Singh Majithia ladega (The lion of Majha region Bikram Singh Majithia will contest against Navjot Singh Sidhu). Sidhu’s security deposit will be forfeited,” claimed Badal.

Majithia, who was a minister in the previous Akali government and is Badal's brother-in-law, had fought the 2012 and 2017 assembly elections from Majithia, an assembly segment in Amritsar.

A suspect in a drug smuggling case, Majithia has been given temporary relief from arrest by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.