AAP releases first list of 8 candidates for Punjab, fields 5 Cabinet ministers

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its first list of eight candidates for Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding five Cabinet ministers.

The state’s ruling party also named a former Congress MLA and a Punjabi actor as its candidates for the polls expected to be held April-May.

The AAP, which is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, is contesting the parliamentary polls on its own in Punjab, which sends 13 members to the Lower House of Parliament.

“The Aam Aadmi Party proudly presents its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Punjab,” said the party in a post on X.

The names of the candidates were announced by AAP national general secretary Sandeep Pathak.

According to the list released by party, Cabinet ministers Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has been fielded from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala. Dhaliwal, Bhullar, Khudian, and Balbir Singh are first-time MLAs from Ajnala in Amritsar district, Patti in Tarn Taran district, Lambi in Muktsar district, and Patiala Rural in Patiala district, respectively.

Dhaliwal, who holds the portfolios of NRI affairs and administrative reforms in the Bhagwant Mann govt in Punjab, had unsuccessfully contested from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 parliamentary polls. While Bhullar, who is transport minister, had defeated Congress’ Harminder Singh Gill in the 2022 Assembly polls in Patti, Khudian, who is the agriculture minister, had defeated Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch and five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi.