New Delhi, Mar 28
Having waited for the Akali Dal’s first family to announce their seats for Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, the Congress on Thursday resumed discussions on its own candidates for the 13 seats, with Bathinda and Ferozepur seats top on the agenda for discussions. AICC General Secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal, state in-charge Asha Kumari, CM Amarinder Singh and state unit president Sunil Jakhar are currently reviewing potential candidates at a meeting of the Punjab LS nominations screening committee under way here.
The Congress has been waiting for Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal to declare her seat so as to strategise accordingly. Harsimrat will be defending Bathinda Lok Sabha seat amid indications now that the Congress will have to plan their strategy to “defeat her”. Equally, it has become important for the Congress to give a deep thought to Ferozepur strategy after Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Badal announced his own candidature from the seat. A section of Punjab Congress led by Rajya Sabha MP Partap Bajwa wants Jakhar to give up his Gurdaspur seat and contest from Ferozepur instead. Jakhar, sitting Gurdaspur MP, is however keen on retaining Gurdaspur. The party will have to take a call following changed circumstances after Sukhbir said he would contest Ferozepur. In Bathinda the earlier situation was that Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal was unwilling to contest. Among applicants from the seat is Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra’s son. In Ferozepur, Minister Rana Sodhi and his son Anumeet are both applicants, so is former Akali MP Sher Singh Gubhaya who recently joined the Congress.
Discussions on potential candidates are still under way in the National Capital.
