Congress releases 3rd list of candidates for Punjab polls, fields CM Channi from 2 seats

The Congress Sunday released its third list of eight candidates for the February 20 Punjab assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib seats.

The Congress also fielded former Patiala mayor Vishnu Sharma from the Patiala assembly seats against its former leader Amarinder Singh.

Sharma was once considered a close confidant of the former chief minister.

Some political observers said that by fielding Channi from two seats, the Congress party has apparently given a clear indication of its Chief Ministerial face for Punjab Assembly election.

The Congress has also dropped three sitting MLAs in its third list of eight candidates.

Sitting MLA from Nawanshahr, Angad Saini has been denied ticket. The party has picked Satbir Singh Saini from this seat.

Angad Singh Saini is married to Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh, who recently joined BJP in Uttar Pradesh after quitting the Congress.

The party has obliged senior Congress leader and former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal by giving the party symbol to his son Manish Bansal from Barnala.

The former MLA from the seat, Kewal Dhillon, has been denied ticket on this seat by the Congress.

Dropping Raminder Amwla, the party picked Mohan Singh Phalianwala on the Jalalabad seat, a stronghold of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The Congress also named Sukhpal Singh Bhullar as its candidate from Khem Karan and Tarsem Singh Siala from Attari (SC) seat.

From Ludhiana South, the Congress has named Ishwarjot Singh Cheema.

In all, the Congress has dropped 11 sitting MLAs and given chance to many new faces in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections to be held for 117 seats on February 20.

The Congress is seeking to retain power in Punjab where it is pitted against the AAP, the SAD-BSP and the BJP which is in alliance with Ex-CM Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal Sanyunkt.