PM no to Amritsar seat, Rajesh Khanna may contest

As for the stated intention of Surjit Singh Kohli, industrialist-brother of the prime minister, to put in his hat for the assembly polls, Amarinder said, “He has not applied for a ticket.” He conceded Kohli had met him once, but there had been no development on this count since.

“Amritsar,” the chief minister maintained, “is a very good seat for us— we don’t care who stands against us—Navjot Sidhu (BJP) or Mrs Navjot Sidhu.”

Sources in the Congress told The Indian Express that the party was keen on fielding a Hindu candidate from Amritsar, a traditionally Hindu constituency, to send a clear signal to the principal minority community of the state that its interests are being taken care of by the ruling party. Hindus make up around one-third of the Punjab population. While the Congress banks on its secular appeal to get their votes, the Akalis always take the BJP on board to counter the national party.

This time, the Akalis have themselves fielded seven Hindu candidates. Veteran Congress leader Raghunandan Lal Bhatia, now Kerala Governor, had won six elections from the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency since 1972, but he opted for a gubernatorial assignment after Sidhu defeated him in the last polls.

Rajesh Khanna, a Punjabi Khatri, is a former Lok Sabha member from New Delhi. A massively popular filmstar in the 1970s, Khanna obviously doesn’t have the aura he once had but still remains a household name. Singla, an Agrawal, belongs to Bathinda. He enjoys the total confidence of the chief minister. Dutti is a popular local figure.