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Cong declares all 106 candidates
17 new faces, 13 women in list; 11 seats left for CPI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12
The Congress today declared candidates for all 106 seats it is contesting in Punjab. The party has left 11 seats for the CPI.

The list was declared today by AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora, who is in charge of Punjab affairs. Mr Vora said that the list had 17 new faces and 13 women.

The following is the list of party candidates:

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Fatehgarh), Ashwani Sekhari (Batala), Tripat Rajinder Singh (Qadian), Pratap Singh Bajwa (Kahnuwan), Salamat Massih (Dhariwal), Khushal Behl (Gurdaspur), Aruna Chaudhary (Dina Nagar), Rumal Chand (Narot Mehra).

Ashok Sharma (Pathankot), Raghunath Sahai Puri (Sujanpur), Jasbir Singh Gill (Beas), Satwinder Singh Kathunangal (Majitha), Rajkumar Balmiki (Verka), Sardool Singh (Jandiala), Jugal Kishore Sharma (Amritsar North), Ratna (Amritsar Central), Harjinder Singh Thekedar (Amritsar South), Ravi Rajbir Singh Randhawa (Ajnala), Parminder Singh (Raja Sansi), Rattan Singh Thekedar Sohal (Attari).

Gurinder Pratap Singh Kairon (Tarn Taran), Sukhdev Singh Shahabajpuri (Khadoor Sahib), Master Jagir Singh (Naushahra Panwan), Trilok Singh (Patti), Gurchet Singh Bhullar (Valtoha), Kanwaljeet Singh Lalli (Adampur).

Gurukanwal Kaur (Jalandhar Cantt), Avtar Singh Henry (Jalandhar North), Raj Kumar Gupta (Jalandhar Central), Mohinder Singh Key Pee (Jalandhar South), Jagjit Singh (Kartarpur), Brij Bhupinder Singh (Lohian), Amarjit Singh Samra (Nakodar), Gurbinder Singh Atwal (Nur Mahal), Tarlochan Singh (Banga), Prakash Singh Saini (Nawanshahr), Santokh Singh Chaudhary (Phillaur), Sukhpal Singh Khera (Bholath).

Rana Gurjit Singh (Kapurthala), Rajan Bir Singh (Sultanpur), Balbir Raja Sodhi (Phagwara), Ram Krishan Kataria (Balachaur), Ram Rattan (Mahilpur), Naresh Thakur (Hoshiarpur), Ram Lobhaya (Sham Chaurasi).

Sangat Singh (Tanda), Pawan Kumar Adiya (Garhdiwala), Ramesh Chander Dogra (Dasuya), Kewal Krishan (Mukerian), Wing Cdr Paramjit Singh Sibia (Jagraon), Harmohinder Singh (Raikot), Malkiat Singh Dakha (Dakha), Ms Gurdial Kaur Kangura (Qila Raipur), Rakesh Pandey (Ludhiana North), Harnam Das Johar (Ludhiana West), Surinder Dawar (Ludhiana East), Malkiat Singh Birmi (Ludhiana Rural), Tej Prakash Singh (Payal), Ishar Singh (Kum Kalan), Amrik Singh (Samrala), Harbans Kaur (Khanna).

Rana K. P. Singh (Mangal), Ramesh Dutt Sharma (Anandpur Sahib-Ropar), Bhag Singh (Chamkaur Sahib), Jagmohan Singh Kang (Morinda), Bir Devender Singh (Kharar), Seelam Sohi (Banur), Raj Kumar Khurana (Rajpura), Jasjit Singh Randhawa (Ghanaur), Lal Singh (Dakala), Brahm Mohindra (Samana), Capt. Amarinder Singh (Patiala Town), Randeep Singh (Nabha), Sadhu Singh Dharamsot (Amloh), Dr Harbans Lal (Sirhind).

Razia Sultana (Malerkotla), Harchand Kaur (Sherpur), Surender Pal Singh Sibia (Barnala), Surinder Kaur Balian (Bhadaur), Jagjit Singh s/o Sampuran Singh, ex-MLA, (Dhanaula), Arvind Khanna (Sangrur), Gurcharan Singh Dirba (Dirbha), Sonia Arora w/o Rajendra Deepa (Sunam), Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehra), Prakash Singh Bhatti (Balluana).

Sunil Jakhar (Abohar), Dr Mohinder Kumar Rinwa (Fazilka), Hansraj Josan (Jalalabad), Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (Guru Har Sahai), Balmukund Sharma (Ferozepore), Ravinder Singh Sandhu (Ferozepore Cantt), Kuldeep Singh Bhullar (Zira), Jagdarshan Kaur (Dharamkot).

Vijay Kumar Saathi (Moga), Mahesh Inder Singh Nihal Singhwala (Bagha Purana), Vibha Sharma (Kot Kapura), Avtar Singh Brar (Faridkot), Harcharan Singh Brar (Muktsar), Raghubir Singh (Gidderbaha), Gurnam Singh Abulkhurana (Lambi), Harminder Singh Jassi (Talwandi Sabo).

Surinder Singla (Bathinda), Jasmail Singh Subedar (Nathana), Harbans Singh Sidhu (Rampura Phul), Sukhraj Singh (Joga) and Ajit Inder Singh (Sardulgarh).

Leaders’ kin in Punjab Cong list
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12
The list of Congress candidates, declared today after prolonged consultations among senior Congress leaders, has its share of surprises with the party relaxing its guidelines for selecting candidates in several cases of relatives and outsiders.

While ticket has been given to some of the relatives of Congress central leaders, MPs or MLAs, these have been denied in other cases. The party has made exception in cases Mr Ram Lobhaya (husband of Ms Santosh Chaudhary) and Ms Harbans Kaur (wife of Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo) while the recommendation of Mr Charanjit Singh Channi have also been accepted.

Though the other party MPs said that they would abide by the decision of the high-command, they have made their unhappiness known to the central leaders.

Supporters of Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, MP from Faridkot, are peeved at the high-command’s decision to deny ticket to Mahesh Inder Singh Badal from Lambi, the seat from where Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is likely to contest. Pointing out that Mr Mahesh Inder Singh, a relative of Mr Badal, had joined the Congress on assurance of getting a ticket, they said that he would have given a tough fight to Chief Minister. “The decision would have its impact on the adjoining seats also as Mr Badal would not be confined to his seat,” a supporter of Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar said. Mr Brar had earlier complained to the high-command that he had been worst hit by the seat-sharing arrangement with the CPI as three seats in his parliamentary constituency had been given away.

Sources said at least about 12 confidants of former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal have been able to get ticket while only two close associates of Mr Brar are among the party candidates.

The party has given ticket to many “political families” with a son and daughter of former Chief Minister Beant Singh in the fray. Apart from a son of Mr Balram Jhakhar, the party has given ticket to Ch Jagjit Singh and Mr Santokh Singh Chaudhary (both brothers).

Mr Brahm Mohindra, who had applied from Patiala from where PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is contesting, has been persuaded to contest from Samana. Mr Bir Devender Singh, who had applied from Samana, has been shifted to Kharar.

PCC chief Amarinder Singh, who has had a major say in deciding ticket, has been able to accommodate two of his close associates Mr Surinder Singla (Bathinda) and Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (Guru Har Sahai). Though Mr Surinder Singla had applied from Samana, he was also being considered from Ludhiana West.

PCC leaders that while the party would “comfortably win” 67 seats, 25 seats were “doubtful” and the party had “little hopes” on 14 seats.

Sources close to former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said she was not entirely satisfied with the list.