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Ferozepur LS seat: Congress in wait-and-watch mode, wants BJP to name candidate first
The Congress, which has declared candidates for the 12 Lok Sabha seats of the total 13 in Punjab, is adopting a wait-and-watch policy for Ferozepur seat
Chandigarh : The Congress, which has declared candidates for the 12 Lok Sabha seats of the total 13 in Punjab, is adopting a wait-and-watch policy for Ferozepur seat.
Party insiders say the Congress will finalise its candidate once the BJP announces its nominee for the segment.
While the AAP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have declared candidates for all 13 segments for the July 1 polls, the BJP is yet to field nominees for four seats and Congress one (Ferozepur).
Congress leaders feel there might be heartburn among some ticket contenders in the BJP after it announces candidate for Ferozepur and they are hoping to induct some rebel leaders into the party.
A tussle between state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and former minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi — both former Congressmen — has delayed the declaration of saffron party candidates from Ferozepur, people familiar with the matter said, adding that Rana Sodhi is vying for the BJP ticket from the seat.
A Punjab Congress functionary said former MP Sher Singh Ghubaya and ex-MLA Raminder Singh Awla are top contenders for the party ticket from Ferozepur. Former additional director general of police Gurinder Singh Dhillon, who took voluntary retirement and joined the Congress recently, is also in the race for the party ticket, people privy to the matter said.
Congress ticket aspirants are also in backchannel talks with the BJP to get a ticket if denied by their party. Similarly, the Rana Sodhi camp is also in touch with the Congress to rejoin and contest the Lok Sabha polls if he is not fielded by the saffron party, said people familiar with the matter.
Both the parties are waiting for each other to announce the nominee first. This has led to the delay in the release of final list, a leader privy to the development said.
The SAD has fielded Nardev Singh Bobby Mann while the Aam Aadmi Party has named MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Ferozepur.
