AAP Announces Second List of 31 Candidates for Punjab Assembly Elections; 25 New Faces Included

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its second list of 31 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, fielding 25 new faces. The party has so far announced 71 candidates and plans to declare the remaining names by the end of December.

The second list includes seven sitting MLAs, while several sitting legislators and ministers have been dropped. Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, who represents the Lambi constituency, has been denied a ticket. The party has instead fielded his nephew, Randhir Singh Dheera Khuddian, from the constituency.

The list was released by AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta. Earlier, the party's Political Affairs Committee held a meeting in Delhi under the leadership of national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attended the meeting.

In its first list, announced on October 31, AAP had declared 40 candidates, all of them sitting MLAs. The second list focuses on 21 constituencies where the party had lost in the 2022 Assembly elections. Of these seats, the Congress had won 16, the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP had won two each, while the BSP had won one.

Several Sitting MLAs and Ministers Dropped

Among the former ministers whose tickets have been cancelled are Laljit Singh Bhullar from Patti and Anmol Gagan Maan from Kharar. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who represented Amritsar North and has now joined the BJP, has also been left out.

Other sitting MLAs who have not been renominated include Dr Charanjit Singh from Chamkaur Sahib, Amit Rattan from Bathinda Rural, Kulwant Singh Bazigar from Shutrana and Raman Arora from Jalandhar Central. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian has also been dropped from Lambi.

AAP has given tickets to two sitting Members of Parliament, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, from Barnala and Phagwara, respectively. Both were previously MLAs and had resigned from the Assembly after becoming MPs.

Saravjit Kaur Manuke has been fielded from Jagraon for the third time, while Amandeep Singh Goldy Musafir has been renominated from Balluana. The party has also given tickets to three candidates who lost the 2022 elections: Raman Behl from Gurdaspur, Shamsher Singh from Dinanagar and Dr Kanwal Nain Singh Kang from Dakha.

Former PCS Officer and Two Sportspersons Among Candidates

Former PCS officer Gopal Singh has been nominated from Bathinda Rural. Amit Rattan had represented the constituency as an MLA but later became embroiled in a Vigilance case.

Two sportspersons have also found a place in the second list. Wrestler Jaskwar Singh Gill, popularly known as Jassa Patti, has been fielded from Patti, while well-known kabaddi player Balbir Singh Pala Jalalpur will contest from Shahkot.

The party has given tickets to five women, four of whom are new faces. They include Sonia Mann from Raja Sansi, Harjot Kaur Lohatia from Phillaur, Dr Suhani Doda from Abohar and Vaninder Kaur Loomba from Shutrana.

From Lambi, considered a stronghold of the Badal family, AAP has nominated Randhir Singh Dheera Khuddian, nephew of Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal is also likely to contest from this constituency.

AAP Fields Candidates Against Pargat Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi

From Jalandhar Cantonment, AAP has fielded Deepak Bali against Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh. From Chamkaur Sahib, the party has nominated former chairman of the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission Jasvir Singh Garhi against former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Talbir Singh Gill has been nominated from Majitha, where Guniv Kaur Majithia is the sitting MLA.

The second list includes 10 candidates from the Majha region, 11 from Doaba and 10 from Malwa. The party has nominated three doctors and one advocate. Nine candidates have been fielded from constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Caste category.

So far, Sanjeev Arora is the only member of the current Punjab Cabinet to have been given a ticket in the two lists announced by the party.

Constituency-Wise List of AAP Candidates

The candidates announced in the second list include Swaran S Salaria from Sujanpur, Rohit Syal from Pathankot, Gur Iqbal Singh Mahal from Qadian, Harjobanjit Singh Randhawa (Joban Randhawa) from Fatehgarh Churian, Karamjit Singh Rintu from Amritsar North, Advocate Harsimran Singh from Bholath, Davinder Pal Singh Ranga from Kapurthala and Harjot Kaur Lohatia from Phillaur.

Other candidates include Nitin Kohli from Jalandhar Central, Vineet Dhir from Jalandhar North, Pawan Kumar Tinu from Adampur, Sarbjot Singh Sabi from Mukerian, Robby Kang from Nawanshahr and Parminder Singh Goldy from Kharar.

Will Seek People's Mandate on Development Work: Bhagwant Mann

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said AAP would seek the people's mandate in the upcoming elections on the basis of development works and initiatives taken for public welfare.

He specifically referred to financial assistance for women, 300 units of free electricity, canal water supply and the pilgrimage scheme.

During the party meetings, the names of candidates were discussed and their chances of winning were assessed on the basis of surveys. The Political Affairs Committee subsequently approved the second list. Mann said there was no lobbying in AAP as happens in other political parties.