Cong to drop more sitting MLAs in 2nd list

Thursday, 22/12/2016

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=170233&boxid=59286&uid=&dat=2016-12-22

Chandigarh : The Congress is likely to drop more sitting legislators and senior leaders in its second list of candidates, to be announced in a day or two. Moreover, it is final now that only one of the two Sidhus (Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu) will contest Punjab assembly elections.

The facts are evident with Punjab Congress Committee (PCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh, in a press conference at New Delhi on Wednesday, making it clear that the sitting MLAs, not meeting the winnability criteria will be dropped from the list of candidates for forthcoming Assembly elections.

He also disclosed that the party had finalised almost 21 names for the allocation of tickets. The Congress is likely to witness revolt with the release of 2nd list. It also is learnt that Congress has included certain turncoats in its second list of candidates going by their reputation and chances of winning the elections.

The Screening Committee, according to party insiders, cleared Kharar, Muktsar, Giddarbaha seats from where Jagmohan Kang, Karan Kaur Brar, and Indian Youth Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring will contest.

Party ticket to turncoat Deepender Dhillon, a disciple of Preneet Kaur, wife of Capt Amarinder Singh is almost final from Dera Bassi. Apart from some other seats, Ludhiana East, Samana and Sanaur are yet to be finalised.

Being a six-time MLA and a Dalit face Swaran Singh Phillaur, who recently joined Congress after quitting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is being considered a party candidate from Phillaur. The PCC president said he would be meeting Navjot Singh Sidhu soon to work out the modalities of his joining the Congress. Sidhu had met Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

He, however, again made it clear that the ‘one-family-one-ticket’ criteria will be strictly adhered in case of Sidhu couple too. On the possibility of Navjot Singh Sidhu contesting the Assembly polls from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder said it was up to Sidhu couple to decide which of them will be contesting on Congress ticket.

Since the one family one ticket criterion is not implemented in case of Lok Sabha elections, an option for the Sidhu couple, according to the political pundits, is open to contest Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections as well.

After Capt Amarinder Singh’s resignation from Amritsar parliamentary constituency, one Sidhu may contest Amritsar bye-poll, while the other can contest Punjab Vidhan Sabha poll.