The Congress today released a first list of 61 candidates for the 2017 Assembly polls in Punjab, fielding state unit chief Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi and Sunil Jakhar.
Amarinder will contest the elections from the Patiala Urban Assembly seat.
The Congress has retained 31 sitting MLAs, and dropped only three – including Preneet Kaur, who made way for her husband Amarinder Singh.
The Congress has chosen seven new faces backed by “strong credibility and winnability criteria”.
The list includes five youths, six women, eight former MLAs and one former MP.
The names were cleared earlier by the Central Election Committee headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Amarinder said since there were too many aspirants, those who couldn’t make it to the final list for Assembly polls will be accommodated once the party forms its government. He appealed to all Congress workers to come together to campaign for the party’s victory in Punjab.
He said winnability is key criteria for selection, and chose to go with winnable candidates across various cross-sections, striking a balance between youth, new faces and experience – while giving adequate representation to women.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, who joined the Congress a few months ago, will contest from the Bathinda Urban Assembly seat.

Source : Times Of India

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us