With the Congress yet to allocate tickets in five of the 14 constituencies in the district, it is anyone’s game right now, and aspirants are putting their best foot forward – be it reaching out to the public, or hobnobbing with higher ups.
The grand old party had announced candidates for nine assembly segments on January 15. However, they are yet to announce candidates for Ludhiana South, Sahnewal, Samrala, Jagraon and Gill Constituency. Traditionally, Sahnewal, Jagraon and Ludhiana South segments have been tough nuts to crack for the Congress. A fierce contest is underway in Ludhiana South and Sahnewal where at least five aspirants each are fighting for a ticket.
Aspirants for the coveted tickets include former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s son-in-law Vikram Singh Bajwa, chief minister Charanjit Channi’s relative Dilawar Singh Lehra, former union minister Buta Singh’s daughter Gurkeerat Kaur and former minister Karam Singh Gill’s son Raja Gill. Bajwa and Gill are aspiring to contest from Sahnewal, while Lehra is eyeing a ticket from the Gill constituency and Kaur is trying to get the party ticket from Jagraon.
A tough contest
{{/usCountry}}A tough contest
{{/usCountry}}In Ludhiana South, Congress leader Ishwarjot Cheema, former district president (rural) Gurdev Lapran, district working president Niki Riyat, Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation chairperson KK Bawa and deputy mayor Saravjit Kaur’s husband Jarnail Singh Shimlapuri are in the fray for a party ticket. The south constituency is the stronghold of sitting Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Balwinder Bains, who has won two consecutive elections from the segment.
In Sahnewal, apart from Bajwa and Gill, Punjabi singer Satwinder Kaur Bitti, councillor Pal Singh Grewal, and Paramjit Ghawaddi are also hoping for a ticket. Incidentally, Gill is also close to former chief minister Beant Singh’s family. At present, the segment is the bastion of SAD sitting MLA Sharanjit Dhillon. Bajwa had lost to sitting Dhillon in 2012, while Bitti had lost to Dhillon in 2017.
For the Jagraon assembly seat, which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste community, Congress leaders Malkit Singh Dakha, Buta Singh’s daughter Gurkeerat Kaur, Punjab State Safai Karamchari Commission chairperson Gejja Ram Valmiki and sitting Raikot MLA Jagtar Singh Hissowal are aspiring for a ticket. Hissowal, a former Aam Aadmi Party leader, had not been given a ticket from Raikot and is hoping to get one from Jagraon. Whoever gets the ticket will have to go against sitting MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke of AAP, who is the deputy leader of opposition. During the previous assembly elections, Dakha had lost to Manuke.
In Samrala, sitting MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon is seeking a ticket for his grandson Karanvir Singh Dhillon this time. However, the party is yet to take a final call.
Those privy to the development say the Congress is expected to announce the candidates soon.
Gill, Samrala in eye of the storm
Many eyebrows were raised after the party reserved the decision to announce the candidates from Gill and Samrala constituencies, which are represented by sitting Congress MLAs – Kuldeep Vaid and four-time MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon, respectively, especially as the party had given tickets to six other sitting MLAs — cabinet ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Ludhiana West) and Gurkirat Kotli (Khanna), MLAs Rakesh Pandey (Ludhiana North), Sanjay Talwar (Ludhiana East), Surinder Dawar (Ludhiana Central) and Lakhvir Lakha (Payal).
In Gill (reserved seat for SC community), the names of Lehra and Congress leader Balbir Singh Barewal are doing the rounds, and the party high command is yet to decide whether it wants to continue with Vaid or not.
Recently a group of sarpanches and their supporters had protested against Vaid for his “poor performance” , and backed Barewal instead. Vaid had however refuted the allegations as an “attempt to defame him.”