LS election: 34 candidates left in fray after rejection of 13 nomination papers

Amritsar, May 15

After the scrutiny of papers by the district election office, a total of 34 candidates have been left in fray as nominations of 13 aspirants were rejected on technical grounds.

Apart from Congress candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla, SAD’s Anil Joshi, BJP’s Taranjit Singh Sandhu, AAP’s Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, SAD (Amritsar) Iman Singh Mann and 18 independent aspirants, 11 smaller parties have also fielded their candidates.

At least four candidates, including Anil Joshi, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Vishal Sidhu of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Shamsher Singh, an Independent candidate, have criminal records.

Candidates wishing to withdraw from the contest can do so till May 17 after which the remaining contenders would be allotted election symbols.

Meanwhile, election observers conducted an inspection of the strong rooms where electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be kept till the counting of votes. They asked the district administration to make elaborate security arrangements to ensure that the EVMs were kept safely at strong rooms.