For Youth Cong,reserved or ‘tough’ seats,so for women,who are not wives

Against yet another political stalwart,P S Chandumajra — a general secretary of the ruling Akali Dal — the party has put up Kuljit Nagar,a former Youth Congress leader who entered the political fray as student leader in Panjab University.

Rajwinder Singh Lucky has been fielded against another strong candidate — sitting MLA of Akali Dal Chaudhary Nand Lal. The remaining two,Lakhwir Singh Lakha and Satkar Kaur,are from reserved constituencies of Payal in Ludhiana district and Ferozepur Rural. Here too,Lakha has a strong opponent in former Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal. The candidate against Kaur — a Zila parishad member and more recently elected a YC booth-level leader — is yet to be announced.

However,Punjab YC in-charge Vikas Upadhyay said the poll outcome will prove how tough a fight can the Youth Congress candidates give to the heavyweights they are contesting against. “We have given seats to those who have risen from the ranks. All the six have no political lineage,” he said. Asked why only six candidates from YC,he said: “They are a part of the parent body and winnability alone was the deciding factor.”

The same pattern follows among women as well. Of the 11 women candidates in the 114 seats announced so far,five are wives contesting from the “safe” home districts of their husbands. Two among them are wives of sitting MPs — Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee’s wife Suman Kaypee will contest from Jalandhar West and Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa’s wife Charanjit Bajwa from Qadian.

Karan Brar,wife of ailing sitting MLA Sunny Brar,has been allotted her husband’s seat of Muktsar. Guriqbal Kaur,wife of former Nawanshahr MLA Parkash Singh,will take on another of her genre,Satinder Kaur — wife of Nawanshahr MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha,who passed away last year.

The fifth,former Punjab Congress president S S Dullo’s wife Harbans Kaur is contesting from reserved seat of Bassi Pathana. Another candidate,Aruna Chaudhary,will also fight from the reserved constituency of Dina Nagar. As for Simpreet Kaur Bhatia,she will take on the wife of BJP’s Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

The remaining three woman candidates are sitting MLAs — Congress Legislative Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,Malerkotla MLA Razia Sultana — wife of Punjab ADGP Mohammad Mustafa — and Harchand Kaur Ghanauri,who this time is contesting from reserved seat Mehel Kalan.