Punjab: Only 40 Congress aspirants apply for tickets; last date today

A party leader on condition of anonymity told The Indian Express that among senior leaders, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (from Sangrur), former MP Santosh Chaudhary (Jalandhar), former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur (Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur) and former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee (Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur) have applied. Dr Raj Chabbewal, a sitting MLA, has also applied from Hoshiarpur.

The maximum number of five applications have been received for Anandpur Sahib, represented by Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra. No application has been received for Gurdaspur, the constituency represented by PPCC chief and sitting MP Sunil Kumar Jakhar. Even the PPCC chief has not applied for ticket yet.

Patiala, from where Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur became an MP earlier, nobody has applied. Sitting MLA Randeep Singh Nabha said he would contest and collected the form from PPCC. Preneet Kaur is a strong contender for the ticket from Patiala.

While sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and his son Anumit Singh

Hira Sodhi have staked a claim on the ticket from Ferozepore, neither have filed an application.

Sources said if enough number of applications are not received , they would have to extend the last day by a day or so. Party general secretary incharge Asha Kumari said,””It is not necessary that only those who file an application will get the ticket. The party can also pick candidates. We invited applications as we do not want anyone to be ignored due to oversight. Once we have applications, we can considered leaders from them”” she said.

The Congress has four sitting Mps, including Jakhar from Gurdaspur, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana, Chaudhary Santokh Singh from

Jalandhar and GS Aujla from Amritsar. Former Union Minister Manish Tewari, who applied for the ticket from Chandigarh, has not filed an application to PPCC yet.