SAD announces list of 69 candidates for Punjab polls, Dhindsa shifted
The announcement of tickets for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates has clearly indicated that deputy chief minister and party president Sukhbir Badal is eyeing the Dalit votes, a formula that trounced the Congress in the 2012 polls.
The announcement of tickets for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates has clearly indicated that deputy chief minister and party president Sukhbir Badal is eyeing the Dalit votes, a formula that trounced the Congress in the 2012 polls.
Of the 18 reserved seats for which candidates have been announced, 12 have got new faces, either by dropping some sitting MLAs or swapping some others.
Sukhbir, using his smart social engineering, had sprung surprises in 2012, when the SAD had won 21 seats reserved for Dalits, while the Congress, which traditionally gets SC votes, managed only 10, while the BJP got three of the 34 seats reserved for Dalits in Punjab, which has maximum percentage of Dalit voters. To woo the Ravidas community vote bank, tickets have been allotted to Dera Sach Khand Ballan pointsmen Kabir Das and Seth Satpal Mal, who recently joined the SAD after quitting the Congress.
And, in a bid to repeat the 2012 results, Sukhbir again focused on Dalit seats, where the Congress is looking for candidates. Sukhbir has dropped even Dalit heavyweights such as speaker of the Vidhan Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal (Payal), former Cabinet ministers and sitting MLAs Swaran Singh Phillaur (Kartarpur) and Avnish Chander (Phillaur), both facing the heat of the Bhola drug racket, and Gurtej Singh Ghuriana (Balluana) and Rajwinder Kaur (Nihal Singh Wala).
Only five sitting MLAs have been pitted from their earlier contested seats, who include Cabinet ministers Gulzar Singh Ranike (Attari) and Sohan Singh Thandal (Chabbewal), MLAs Darshan Singh Shivalik (Gill), Joginder Singh Jindu (Ferozepur Rural) and Vaninder Kaur Loomba (Shutrana).
Jagraon MLA SR Kaler has been shifted to Nihal Singh Wala in place of sitting MLA Rajwinder Kaur, and now Zila Parishad chairperson of Ludhiana Bibi Amarjit Kaur Sahoke will contest from Jagraon; Dirbha MLA Sant Balvir Singh Ghunas has been shifted to Bhadaur by dropping last-time losing candidate Darbara Singh Guru, and in the neighbouring Mehal Kalan seat, the SAD has fielded Ajeet Singh Shant, by replacing Gobind Singh Kanjla; former Conrgessman Isher Singh Meharban has been given ticket from Payal by dropping speaker of the Vidhan Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal. However, Sukhbir compenstated the Atwal family by giving ticket to Atwal’s son Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal from Raikot, from where Bikramjit Singh had contested in 2012. Justice Nirmal Singh (retd) has been shifted from Bassi Pathana to Chamkaur Sahib.
New faces include Baldev Singh Khaira (Phillaur), who recently came from the BSP, Satpal Mal (Kartarpur) and Kabir Das (Nabha), both Dera Sach Khand Ballan followers, and Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi (Banga)
“The SAD has a two-pronged strategy, to cut the anti-incumbency of sitting candidates by swapping and replacing them and to cut into such votes as traditionally go to the Congress. The seats have been reshuffled by Sukhbir Badal, who has conducted a survey at every seat,” said a SAD strategist, dealing with the survey.
He said, initially, Sukhbir okayed tickets to Swaran Phillaur and Avinash Chander, but anticipating a negative vote in view of their questioning by the enforcement directorate, he avoided it and brought in new faces.
“There is complete focus on Dalit seats and, from December 1, a Dalit Yatra carrying the idol of Bhagwan Valmiki, will start from the Shambu barrier and will pass through the entire Punjab and conclude at Ramtirath, where a temple costing Rs 100 crore is being built,” said a SAD strategist. He said that Sukhbir was personally giving final touches to this yatra. Sukhbir is yet to announce candidates for 11 more Dalit seats, and these also will see changes.
Here’s the list
Constituency: Candidate
AJNALA: Amarpal Singh ‘Bony’
RAJASANSI: Veer Singh Lopoke
MAJITHA: Bikram Singh Majithia
ATTARI: Gulzar Singh Ranike
RAMPURA PHUL: Sikander Singh Maluka
BATHINDA URBAN: Sarup Chand Singla
TALWANDI SABO: Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu
MAUR: Janmeja Singh Sekhon
MEHAL KALAN: Ajeet Singh Shant
BHADAUR: Balvir Singh Ghunas
BALLUANA: Parkash Singh Bhatti
ZIRA: Hari Singh Zira
FEROZEPUR RURAL: Joginder Singh Jindu
GURU HAR SAHAI: Vardev Singh Maan
FARIDKOT: Parambans Singh ‘Bunty’ Romana
KOTKAPURA: Mantar Singh Brar
FATEHGARH SAHIB: Didar Singh Bhatti
AMLOH: Gurpreet Singh ‘Raju’ Khanna
GURDASPUR: Gurbachan Singh Babbehali
QADIAN: Sewa Singh Sekhwan
BATALA: Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal
FATEHGARH CHURIAN: Nirmal Singh Kahlon
DERA BABA NANAK: Sucha Singh Langah
URMUR: Arvinder Singh Rasoolpur
CHABBEWAL: Sohan Singh Thandal
GARHSHANKAR: Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan
PHILLAUR: Baldev Singh Khaira
NAKODAR: Gurpartap Singh Wadala
SHAHKOT: Ajit Singh Kohar
ADAMPUR: Pawan Kumar Tinu
KARTARPUR: Satpal Mall
JALANDHAR CANTT: Sarabjit Singh Makkar
KAPURTHALA: Paramjit Singh Pamma
SULTANPUR LODHI: Upinderjit Kaur
KHANNA: Ranjit Singh Talwandi
SAHNEWAL: Sharanjit Singh Dhillon
LUDHIANA EAST: Ranjit Singh Dhillon
LUDHIANA SOUTH: Hira Singh Gabria
GILL: Darshan Singh Shivalik
DAKHA: Manpreet Singh Ayali
SAMRALA: Santa Singh Umaidpur
RAIKOT: Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal
ATAMNAGAR: Gurmeet Singh Kular
PAYAL: Isher Singh Meharban
JAGRAON: Amarjit Kaur Sahoke
SARDULGARH: Dilraj Singh Bhunder
GIDDARBAHA: Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon
MUKTSAR: Kanwarjeet Singh ‘Rozy’ Barkandi
DHARAMKOT: Tota Singh
NIHALSINGHWALA: SR Kler
PATIALA RURAL: Satbir Singh Khatra
GHANAUR: Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur
SANOUR: Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra
SAMANA: Surjit Singh Rakhra
SHUTRANA: Vaninder Kaur Loomba
NABHA: Kabir Dass
ROPAR: Daljit Singh Cheema
CHAMKAUR SAHIB: Nirmal Singh
DERA BASSI: NK Sharma
BANGA: Sukhwinder Singh ‘Sukhi’
NAWANSHAHR: Jarnail Singh Wahid
BALACHAUR: Nand Lal
LEHRA: Parminder Singh Dhindsa
SANGRUR: Parkash Chand Garg
AMARGARH: Iqbal Singh Jhundan
TARN TARAN: Harmeet Singh Sandhu
KHEMKARAN: Virsa Singh Valtoha
PATTI: Adaish Partap Singh Kairon
KHADOOR SAHIB: Ravinder Singh Brahmpura
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