Big guns among 82 file nominations on Day 4

NO NOMINATION TO BE FILED ON MAY 11 AND 12 DUE TO GAZETTED HOLIDAYS

JALANDHAR/HOSHIARPUR/ AMRITSAR/FARIDKOT/ BATHINDA : As many as 95 nominations have been filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats as per the Punjab poll official. As many as nine candidates filed 14 nomination papers from Gurdaspur. These include Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from the Congress and Dinesh Singh ‘Babbu’ from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Six candidates in Amritsar filed eight nominations, including BJP’s Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Anil Joshi from the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Former Indian diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu held a roadshow, accompanied by minister of external affairs S Jaishankar from Novelty Chowk to District courts.

Meanwhile, radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who is detained under NSA and presently lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, filed his papers from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent. His papers were submitted by his uncle Sukhchain Singh. Three other candidates also filed their nomination papers from Khadoor Sahib, including Manjit Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Gurdial Singh from the Communist Party of India.

Six candidates have filed their nominations from Jalandhar, including Sushil Kumar from the BJP, Mohinder Singh Kaypee from the SAD, Charanjit Singh Channi from the Congress and Balwinder Kumar from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Channi was accompanied by a battery of Congress MLAs from Doaba and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and the party’s special observer for Lok Sabha elections Harish Chaudhary. “If BJP is voted to power, the Constitution written by Dr BR Ambedkar will be in danger,” said Channi, who carried a copy of the Constitution while filing nomination papers.

Saffron party candidate Rinku was accompanied by former cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia and said the BJP is the need of the hour for the overall development of Punjab. “Former CM Channi had done nothing for the traders and Schedule Caste community while he was chief minister,” Rinku said. SAD candidate Mohinder Singh Kaypee was accompanied by former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur and former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala. Five candidates have filed seven nominations from Hoshiarpur. These include Yamani Gomar from the Congress and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accompanied Gomar and said Congress’ performance in the forthcoming polls was going to be spectacular. AAP nominee Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal held a road show in the city before filing nomination papers. He was accompanied by cabinet minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa and volunteers from all nine assembly segments.

In Anandpur Sahib, nine nominations have been filed by seven candidates. These include Prem Singh Chandumajra from the SAD and Malvinder Singh Kang from the AAP. Punjab Education minister Harjot Bains accompanied Kang.

Twelve candidates have filed their nominations from Ludhiana.

These include Ravneet Singh Bittu from the BJP and Davinder Singh from the BSP.

Eight nominations have been filed by six candidates from Fatehgarh Sahib, including Gurpreet Singh GP from the AAP. GP Singh, who is a former MLA from Bassi Pathana, first paid obeisance at historic Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara and then walked – along with his party workers – to the district election officer’s office to file his papers.

In Faridkot, eight candidates have filed their nominations including include Rajwinder Singh Randhawa from the SAD.

He is a third-generation politician and is the son of three-time Akali MLA Sheetal Singh and maternal grandson of late agriculture minister Gurdev Singh Badal. He is contesting his first election. Sarabjeet Singh, who is the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh, also filed his nomination papers from Faridkot.

In Bathinda, seven candidates have filed their nominations, including Gurmeet Singh Khudian of the AAP, Jeetmohinder Singh from the Congress and Nikka Singh from the BSP. Nardev Singh Bobby Mann, SAD leader, was among the four candidates who filed papers for the Ferozepur seat. In Sangrur, four candidates have filed their nominations, while in Patiala, five candidates have filed their nominations, including Narinder Kumar Sharma (SAD) and Jagjit Singh (BSP).

“It is only SAD, which is the only regional party of the state that cares for local aspirations and always stood with them during thick and thin,” Sharma said after filing his nomination.

Sibin C mentioned that due to gazetted holidays on May 11 and 12, no nomination papers can be filed on these days. Notably, from May 7 to May 10, 163 nomination papers have been filed by 143 candidates.