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Congress gets Jakhar to fight from Ferozepur
Dharamsot gets Fatehgarh, Panjgrahian Faridkot
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24
As part of its strategy to field its big guns against Akali-BJP combine, the Congress today made legislature party leader Sunil Jakhar as its candidate for the Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat. Jakhar had not applied for the job. He was chosen over legislator Rana Gurmit Sodhi.

The party also fielded Nabha MLA Sadhu Singh Dharamsot from Fatehgarh Sahib reserved segment and Jaitu MLA Joginder Singh Panjgrahian from the Faridkot SC constituency.

Today’s decision follows nominations of Capt Amarinder Singh and Ambika Soni. “We will go into the campaign with the development agenda. The last time we won Ferozepur with ease was in 1980 when my father Balram Jakhar wrested it by a record margin of over two lakh votes. We have been practically out of Ferozepur since 1980,” Jakhar said, saying he was handpicked for the job and that he had not applied for it.

Jakhar’s nomination is also part of Congress’ social engineering in the state where Ferozepur has mainly been allotted to a Sikh.

Party sources said more “surprises should be expected” as leaders who were earlier shying away from contests were now making a beeline to join the battle. Only three seats are now pending – Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur. Party’s nomination for Ludhiana is held up because sitting MP Manish Tewari has cited health concerns. For Jalandhar, former state party chief SS Dullo and Choudhary Santokh Singh are being considered. And from Hoshiarpur, sitting Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee could be fielded. “Senior leaders have approached us. Though only three seats are available, you can still expect some surprises,” said a top party leader.

Unwell Tewari won’t be able to contest

Top Congress sources said Manish Tewari called up Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmed on Sunday and told him that he was genuinely too ill to contest the LS polls. Rakesh Bharti Mittal's name is doing the rounds for Ludhiana seat along with Surinder Singla, Partap Singh Bajwa and Ravneet Bittu.