Punjab: Congress likely to pick 7 nominees next week

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

Ahead of the Congress screening committee meeting to shortlist the candidates for the remaining seven seats, Punjab affairs in-charge Devendra Yadav has held parleys with leaders of different parliamentary segments in the last two days.

In the race

• Anandpur Sahib — Sitting MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh is seeking ticket for his son Rana Inder Partap Singh, who is an Independent MLA. However, the party is keen on giving ticket to his son from Khadoor Sahib. Other contenders for the seats are former minister Balbir Sidhu, former Speaker Rana KP Singh, besides Amarpreet Lally, former Punjab Youth Congress chief
• Hoshiarpur — The party has ‘consensus’ on two leaders, Mohinder Kaypee, former PPCC chief, and former MLA Pawan Adia
• Gurdaspur — Former minister Sukhjinder Randhawa or Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Pahra
• Ludhiana — Former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu is the front-runner. Pargat Singh’s name has also cropped up

The central election committee meeting is expected around April 25.

Yadav along with the PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring held meetings with leaders from Khadoor Sahib, Faridkot and Hoshiarpur segments. The meeting with Anandpur Sahib leaders is yet to be held.

The seats for which the candidates are yet to be announced are Ferozepur, Khadoor Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Faridkot & Gurdaspur

The parliamentary seats for which the candidates are yet to be announced are Faridkot, Ferozepur, Khadoor Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur.

In case of Anandpur Sahib, sitting MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh is seeking ticket for his son Rana Inder Partap Singh, who is an Independent MLA. However, the party is keen on giving ticket to his son from Khadoor Sahib. Another contenders for the seats are former minister Balbir Sidhu, former Speaker Rana KP Singh, besides Amarpreet Lally, former Punjab Youth Congress chief. The party has to decide between a Jat face and a Hindu face.

For Hoshiarpur, the party has ‘consensus’ on two leaders, Mohinder Kaypee, former PPCC chief, and former MLA Pawan Adia. In Gurdaspur, it is more or less decided between former minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Pahra.

Party leaders claimed that the dissidents in Sangrur and Bathinda had been mollified and efforts were on to tackle them in Patiala. “We will field the best candidates for all seats and it will be amicably done. When the leaders know that the Congress can put up a good show, all will fall in line,” said a senior leader.

For Ludhiana, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu is the front-runner. Pargat Singh’s name has also cropped up. The party wants to give a tough fight to sitting MP Ravneet Bittu, who has left the party to join the BJP. Efforts are on to ensure that Congress leaders in the Ludhiana parliamentary segment remain united to teach Bittu a lesson, said a senior PPCC leader.

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