Ludhiana: One postgrad, 5 grads, two LLBs to slug it out in byelection
According to the ECI data, only one candidate holds a postgraduate degree, five are graduates, two have legal qualifications, one holds a civil engineering degree while the remaining include school passouts, a diploma holder, and one illiterate candidate
As campaigning intensifies ahead of the Ludhiana West byelection on June 19, the academic attainment of the 14 candidates in the fray reveal a telling divide, ranging from a master’s degree in engineering to a candidate with no formal education.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) data, only one candidate holds a postgraduate degree, five are graduates, two have legal qualifications, one holds a civil engineering degree while the remaining include school passouts, a diploma holder, and one illiterate candidate.
Topping the academic chart is an independent candidate, Baldev Raj Katna Debu, who holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from GNE College, making him the most academically qualified in the race.
Among the prominent party candidates, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjeev Arora, Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman are graduates, while BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta has completed his schooling from Sirhind.
As per official data, Sanjeev Arora is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate from SCD Government College, Ludhiana. Bharat Bhushan Ashu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arya College, while Parupkar Singh Ghumman is armed with an LLB degree from Punjabi University, Patiala. Ghumman is one of the two law graduates in the contest, the other being an independent named Gurdeep Singh Kahlon.
Additionally, another candidate, Navneet Kumar Gopi, representing the Simranjit Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), has studied up to Class 10, as per his nomination papers.
The sole woman candidate, Renu, contesting as an independent, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University.
Among the eight independent candidates, Paramjit Singh Bharaj brings technical experience with a Bachelor of Engineering (civil) degree. In contrast, social media personality Neetu Shutteran Wala is the only candidate with no formal education, contesting this election.
Notably, as per the rules of ECI, there is no minimum educational qualification to contest elections. However, candidates are required to disclose their academic background while filing nomination papers.
