Cong names 6 candidates in Punjab, 1 in UP; fields ex-cm Channi from Jalandhar

THE CONGRESS Sunday announced candidates for six out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab including two sitting party MPS, a former AAP MP, a former chief minister, a strong critic of CM Bhagwant Mann and a four-time MLA. Former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi (60) has been declared the party candidate from Jalandhar (SC reserve) seat.

The party has fielded its Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira (58) as its candidate from Sangrur, the bastion of CM Mann. The constituency has been twice represented by

Mann – in 2014 and 2019.

Former MP Dharamvira Gandhi (72) has been declared Congress candidate from Patiala. He was elected from Patiala in 2014 Lok Sabha polls on an AAP ticket but had later parted ways with Arvind Kejriwal’s party.

Four-time Talwandi Sabo MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, who returned to the Congress fold in October last year, will contest from Bathinda. Sitting party MPS Gurjeet Singh Aujla (51) and Amar Singh (70) have been fielded from Amritsar and Fatehgarh Sahib (SC reserve) constituency, respectively.

Khaira – who won twice on a Congress ticket (2007 and 2022) and once on an AAP ticket (2017)

– has been a vocal critic of CM Mann and the ruling AAP in Punjab and will be locked in a contest from Sangrur with AAP Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and SAD nominee Iqbal Singh Jhundan.

In Jalandhar where the Congress has declared former CM Channi as the party candidate, sitting MP Sushil Kumar Rinku is the BJP candidate.

Channi had already been in a poll-mode in Jalandhar, much to the resentment of Chaudhary’s son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary who had been terming Channi an “outsider” in the constituency.

Congress’ candidate from Bathinda Jeet Mohinder Singh

Sidhu (60) had returned to the party fold last year from Akali Dal. Aujla, who will contest from Amritsar, is a two-time MP. He was first elected from the constituency in 2017 bypoll. Congress’ candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib, Amar Singh, a retired bureaucrat, was elected from constituencyinthelastparliamentary polls on a Congress ticket.

Meanwhile, the Congress announced former SP leader Ujjwal Raman Singh from Allahabad Lok Sabha seat. The 51-year-old son of veteran leader Reoti Raman Singh, Ujjwal had recently joined the Congress after quitting SP.