PLC announces 22 candidates, Amarinder Singh to contest from Patiala Urban

Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Sunday announced the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) candidates from 22 constituencies for upcoming State Assembly elections.

The PLC has got 37 of the 117 seats in the state as part of its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and SAD (Sanyukt), with discussions still in progress on possibly another five seats for the party.

Of the 37 seats in the PLC kitty, the maximum of 26 are from Malwa region. The PLC’s share in seat allocation for Majha region currently stands at 7, while Doaba region accounts for four seats.

There is one woman in this first list. Farzana Alam Khan, a former SAD MLA and wife of former DGP the late Izhar Alam Khan, will contest from Malerkotla in the Malwa region.

Besides Capt. Amarinder Singh, who had on Saturday itself announced his decision to fight from his home constituency of Patiala Urban, there are eight other Jat Sikhs in the first list. Four of the candidates belong to the SC community, three to OBC community, while five are Hindu faces.

In addition to Capt. Amnarinder and Farzana Alam, another key candidate from Malwa region is the current Mayor of MC Patiala, Sanjeev Sharma alias Bittu Sharma, who was a district president the Youth Congress for several years. Sharma will contest the Patiala Rural seat.

Kamaldeep Saini, former PPCC secretary, former Chairman Cooperative Bank Punjab and General Secretary in-charge (Org) PLC, has been finalised as the candidate from Kharar, while Jagmohan Sharma, who was President of district Congress committee, Ludhiana and is currently PLC district president, has been selected for Ludhiana East. The Ludhiana South seat will be represented in PLC by Satinderpal Singh Tajpuri, the son of a former Cooperation Minister in the erstwhile SAD government.

Prem Mittal, an SAD ex-MLA from Mansa and former Sr Deputy Mayor of Ludhiana, will contest from Atamnagar, while Damanjeet Singh Mohi, an active Youth Congress functionary who has formerly been Sarpanch, Zila Parishad member and Chairman of Market Committee Mullanpur, will fight from the Dakha seat.

Retired PPS officer, Mukhtiar Singh, a Dalit, has been nominated from the reserved constituency of Nihalsingh Wala. The Dharamkot seat ticket has gone to Ravinder Singh Garewal, an advocate. Dr Amarjeet Sharma, a medical practitioner has been fielded from Rampura Phul.

Raj Nambardar, a Hindu businessman, will contest the polls from Bathinda Urban. Incidentally, his father Dev Raj Nambardar also contested from Bathinda in 1985. Bathinda Rural, a reserved constituency, will be contested by Sawera Singh, son of late MLA Makhan Singh and currently Vice Chairman, Punjab Water Resources Management Corpn.

The PLC candidate from another reserved seat, Budhalada, is Subedar Bhola Singh Hasanpur, who served the Indian Army for 28 years and was unanimously elected Sarpanch of his village. Three-time municipal councillor and former member Improvement Trust, Barnala as well as ex-President SC Wing of SAD, Dharam Singh Fauji has been selected as the PLC candidate from Bhadaur (SC).

The Sanaur seat will be contested by social activist Bikramjit Inder Singh Chahal, son of Capt. Amarinder Singh’s close associate and advisor B.I.S. Chahal, with the Samana candidature going to Surinder Singh Kherki, Secretary, PPCC and former Member of Panchayat Samiti.

In the Majha region, Tejinder Singh Randhawa @ Beauty Randhawa, former vice president of DCC Gurdaspur, is the candidate for Fatehgarh Churrian, while ex-MLA and former Chairman of Forests Corporation as well as BACKFINCO, Harjinder Singh Thekedar, will fight the Amrtisar South seat.

The first list of candidates from Doaba region includes Amandeep Singh @ Gora Gill, former Punjab Congress spokesperson, for Bholath, and former Indian Hockey Team captain, Ajitpal Singh, for Nakodar. Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, who has been selected for Nawanshehar, is Chairman, District Planning Board, Nawanshehar and former President, PYC, Distt. Nawanshehar.