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Punjab polls 2022: Congress` announcement on crucial seats charges poll atmosphere
With the announcement of names of the candidates by the Congress party in Punjab, the election campaigns have not only gained momentum but the political atmosphere has also begun to heat up especially in the high-stake constituencies including Amritsar East, Majitha, Qadian, Amritsar North, etc. in the Majha region of Punjab from where some of the political bigwigs are contesting elections.
Highlights
- For Majithia, the fight is not just limited to winning the seat but to decimate Sidhu’s political carrier
- Congress chose MLA Sunil Dutti for Amritsar North assembly constituency
New Delhi: With the announcement of names of the candidates by the Congress party in Punjab, the election campaigns have not only gained momentum but the political atmosphere has also begun to heat up especially in the high-stake constituencies including Amritsar East, Majitha, Qadian, Amritsar North, etc. in the Majha region of Punjab from where some of the political bigwigs are contesting elections.
It’s clear now that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Navjot Singh Sidhu will contest from the same constituency Amritsar East which he currently represents, the rumours abound that former Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia could also file his paper from the Amritsar East constituency along with Majitha assembly constituency to settle political scores with Sidhu.
For Majithia, the fight is not just limited to winning the seat but to decimate Sidhu’s political carrier. During the last assembly elections in 2017, Sidhu had won by trouncing BJP’s Rajesh Kumar Honey.
Strangely, Congress has fielded a lesser-known face and rather a ‘weak’ candidate Jagwinderpal Singh alias Jagga Majithia from Majitha assembly constituency which would only help Bikram Singh Majithia for an easy victory.
Amritsar North assembly constituency is one among other hot constituencies from where former BJP leader Anil Joshi who, in the recent past, had defected BJP to join SAD(B) is contesting. And, for now, his main competition is against AAP’s Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, a former IPS officer.
Amritsar’s Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu was hopeful that party will choose him over sitting MLA Sunil Dutti but his hopes were dashed after Dutti was fielded from the Amritsar North assembly constituency.
Rajya Sabha Member Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa has been fielded by Congress party from Qadian assembly constituency in Gurdaspur district which was possible after his younger brother and sitting Congress MLA Fatehjang Bajwa left the Congress to join BJP after getting the wink of party denying the ticket to him during 2022 assembly elections.
But Partap Singh Bajwa had long been giving indications of contesting elections from Qadian and was sure that party high command would field him from his desired assembly constituency. So sure was Bajwa of getting the ticket from Qadian that in December he had launched ‘Mission Qadian 2022.