Cong poll panel meet today; ex-PM Manmohan Singh for Amritsar on agenda
Sunday, 10/03/2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/cong-poll-panel-meet-today-ex-pm-manmohan-singh-for-amritsar-on-agenda/740574.html
New Delhi : The unanimous proposal of Congress’ Amritsar MLAs to field former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections will be discussed at the first meeting of the party’s screening committee for Punjab scheduled to be held today.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar told The Tribune, “Our Amritsar MLAs want that Dr Manmohan Singh should be approached to consider fighting the 17th General Election from Amritsar. We will bring up the proposal at the screening committee meeting today. It will purely be Dr Singh’s decision but we will discuss Amritsar MLAs’ suggestion in the meeting.”
Those who have applied for the Amritsar LS seat include city Mayor Karamjit Rintu. Sitting Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjit Singh Aujla’s name will also be discussed although the party lawmakers from the segment have opposed his re-nomination.
From Bathinda seat, which Union minister Harsimrat Badal represents, the Congress official panel consists of two names — Mohit Mohindra, son of Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, and former MLA Ajit Singh Mofar.
Mohit heads the Bathinda district Youth Congress and has been working there for over a year. The sole inheritor of senior leader Brahm Mohindra’s rich political legacy, Mohit is hoping to bag the nomination from the Youth Congress category.
It is learnt that Finance Minister Manpreet Badal may not be keen to fight from Bathinda and may back Mohindra.
All sitting Congress MPs from Punjab are likely to be re-nominated, except Aujla. Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu is the only name in the panel from Ludhiana. From Jalandhar, the panel has two names — sitting MP Santokh Choudhry and former MP MS Kaypee. It remains to be seen if Choudhry would like to shift to the Hoshiarpur SC seat. The party will take that call.
For Ferozepur, minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, his son and sitting MP Sher Singh Gubhaya, who recently quit the Akali Dal to join the Congress, are in the race.
Anandpur Sahib has several contenders, led by former minister Ambika Soni, her son, Congress spokesman Jaiveer Shergill, CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s aide Sandeep Sandhu and Punjab Youth Congress chief Amarpreet Lally and the son of former minister Jagmohan Kang. Former minister Manish Tewari is also eyeing the seat should he be denied Chandigarh. Ambika holds the key to this segment.
Former bureaucrat Amar Singh leads the race for Fatehgarh Saheb seat while the panel from Hoshiarpur has the names of former minister Santosh Choudhry, MLA Raj Kumar Chhabewal and MLA Pawan Adia.
Inderjit Zira, Dimpa and Gurchait Bhullar are among main Congress ticket contenders from Khadoor Sahib and from Sangrur, the names of former state chief Rajinder Bhattal and senior leader Kewal Dhillon are in contention.
Sources said it remains to be seen if state minister and former Sangrur MP Vijayinder Singla will be interested in the seat. Sources also said Singla’s name was recently also discussed as a probable candidate from Bathinda though nothing was finalised.
Chief Ministerr’s wife and former Patiala MP is a sure ticket winner from Patiala.
The screening panel meeting today will finalise the dockets on potential candidates to be sent for final clearance by the Congress central election committee chaired by Rahul Gandhi, who will take the final call as the state Congress eyes Mission 13.
Today’s meeting will be attended by AICC general secretary organisation KC Venugopal, party in-charge for Punjab Asha Kumari, CM Amarinder Singh and state chief Sunil Jakhar.
