Akalis name 6 more, Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda, Mohinder Singh Kaypee Jalandhar

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, April 22

Putting to rest speculation over the candidature of sitting MP Harsimrat Badal, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal formally announced her name from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat here today.

To back INLD in Haryana

Chandigarh: The SAD on Monday said it will support Indian National Lok Dal candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. The decision was taken at a meeting of the SAD’s Haryana unit, presided over by party’s state affairs incharge Balwinder Singh Bhunder, a statement said.

After Harsimrat’s name did not figure in the first list of seven released on Baisakhi, there was speculation she could be shifted to another seat, possibly Khadoor Sahib or Ferozepur.

Sukhbir also announced five other candidates — former minister Sohan Singh Thandal from Hoshiarpur, ex-MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon from Ludhiana, former Jalalabad Akali youth chief Nardev Singh Bobby Mann from Ferozepur, Chandigarh ex-Deputy Mayor Hardeep Singh Buterla (Saini) from the UT and former Congress MP Mohinder S Kaypee from Jalandhar. Kaypee’s name was announced soon after he joined the Akali fold after quitting the Congress. By fielding Thandal from Hoshiarpur, the SAD has put an end to conjecture over BJP leader Vijay Sampla joining the party. Sampla, a Dalit leader, was upset over the BJP denying him the ticket from Hoshiarpur. He is learnt to have been placated by the party.

Among the frontrunners for remaining Khadoor Sahib seat are Sukhbir’s brothers-in-law Adesh Partap S Kairon and Bikram Majithia, and veteran leader Virsa Valtoha.