Team News Riveting
Chandigarh, January 30
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will contest the ensuing assembly elections from two seats; sending an overt signal that he feels unsafe to defend the constituency he has been representing.
Congress on Sunday released the third list of eight candidates fielding Channi from a second seat Bhadaur, reserved for Scheduled Caste. The ruling party has pitted former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma against former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in Patiala.
According to sources, Channi is finding it difficult to defend his sitting Chamkaur Sahib constituency despite he had represented thrice in the state assembly.
The Congress has also fielded former union minister and current AICC treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s son Manish in Barnala, denying the claim of ex-MLA Kewal Dhillon. Sources said a powerful corporate house of Punjab had canvassed for him.
The Congress has dropped Attari MLA Tarsem Singh and Raminder Awala in Jalalabad. MLA Sukhpal Bhullar has been retained in Khem Karan. Ex-state unit president Sunil Jakhar had objections to Bhullar’s candidature.
The party has also dropped Nawanshahr MLA Angad Saini, married to Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh, who had recently quit the Congress and joined the BJP in Uttar Pradesh by daring the leadership.
