New Delhi: After weeks of high voltage poll campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1,304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday.
As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling will take place in 117 assembly constituencies across 23 districts from 8 am till 6 pm. ECI had earlier postponed the date of voting for the Assembly polls from February 14 to February 20 in the wake of Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
Here’s a list of key candidates to look for in Punjab assembly polls this year:
Charanjit Singh Channi, who is declared as the Congress's chief ministerial face by party leader Rahul Gandhi, will contest Punjab Assembly elections 2022 from Chamkaur Sahib (SC). Channi became the CM after sudden exit of Amarinder Singh. On his brief tenure of 111 days, Channi built an image of the common man`s Chief Minister by extensively touring the state, occasionally performing `bhangra` on the beats of a `dhol` at public functions. So will the Channi magic work in Punjab again? We will know on March 20.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, a cricketer turned politician, is contesting the battle of a ballot from the Amritsar East assembly constituency. Navjot Singh began his political career with the BJP but later shifted his loyalty to Congress. Sidhu also holds the position of the president of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee. He is being held responsible for the ouster of former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amrinder Singh. Political pundits are of the view that stakes are high during the ensuing assembly elections.
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Former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had to resign following a feud with Navjot Singh Sidhu, formed a new party Punjab Lok Congress to contest the upcomimg assembly poll after forging an alliance with BJP and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). Captain has stated that he will seek votes in the name of achievements of his government in the state and the Narendra Modi government’s work at the Centre.
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Parkash Singh Badal filed his nomination papers from the Lambi constituency. The 94-year-old leader has become the oldest politician contesting assembly elections in the country. The Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch, however, said that Sukhbir Singh Badal is the chief minister face of the party and there is no 'question of a post-poll alliance with the BJP. So will the veteran leader trump over his opposition this assembly polls?
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Sukhbir Sigh Badal is the Shiromani Akali Dal president and is currently an MP from the Ferozpur constituency. He is also known as Junior Badal in Punjab politics. After breaking the alliance with their age-old partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), winning Punjab elections has become a serious challenge to his political reputation amid various allegations. Will Sukhbir Singh Badal be able to win Punjab assembly polls 2022?
(Picture credicts: PTI)
Comedian turned politician Bhagwant Mann is the Chief Minister face of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Punjab Assembly elections. Mann, 48, is known to have major sway in the entire Malwa belt. He is facing a stiff challenge from Congress’ sitting MLA Dalvir Singh Khangura aka Goldy in Dhuri. Bhagwant Mann is a second-time MP since 2014 from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat of which Dhuri is one of the nine assembly constituencies.
(Picture credicts: PTI)