LIKELY CONTENDERS

Sunil Jakhar (Congress)

State party president and sitting Gurdaspur MP, Jakhar (64) was elected as MLA thrice from Abohar (2002-2017). He was a leader of opposition in the assembly from 2012 to 2017 when SAD-BJP alliance was in power. He was elected Gurdaspur MP in the 2017 bypoll as the seat fell vacant after then MP Vinod Khanna’s death.

Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress)

Fromer president of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, Partap Singh Bajwa (62) is a Congress’ Rajya Sabha member since 2016. He defeated actor and sitting MP Vinod Khanna in 2009 from the Gurdaspur segment besides having held various ministries in the Punjab government. Also, he was (PPCC).

Amardeep Singh Cheema (Congress)

Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation and general secretary of the state Congress, Cheema (48) has held key positions in various government panels and institutions. Known as a well-qualified face in the Congress, he staked claim for party ticket from Batala in last assembly polls.

Kavita Khanna (BJP)

Wife of late Bollywood actor-turned-politician and four-time MP Vinod Khanna, Kavita Khanna (59) has no political track record. But she is known among the people of the constituency as his wife. Her claim for ticket got a boost during PM Modi’s Gurdapsur rally in January when he heaped praises on her late husband.

Swaran Salaria (BJP)

A Mumbai-based businessman, Salaria’s (65) native village is in Pathankot’s Bhoa assembly segment which is part of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat. Salaria owns Trig Group, a security guards company. He belongs to the Rajput community which is dominant in Pathankot district. He was fielded by BJP in the 2017 bypoll, but lost.