India News | Sangrur Bypoll: Cong, BJP Candidates File Nomination Papers

Chandigarh, Jun 6 (PTI) Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy and BJP's Kewal Dhillon filed their nomination papers on Monday for the June 23 Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll.

Goldy and Dhillon, both former MLAs, besides Shiromani Akali Dal's Kamaldeep Kaur filed their nominations on the last day for filing the papers on Monday.

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Dhillon, a former Congress MLA from Barnala, had joined the BJP with four other Congress leaders from the state here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had defeated Goldy, who was the MLA from Dhuri seat, in the Assembly polls held earlier in the year.

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The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded party's Sangrur district in-charge, Gurmail Singh, for the bypoll. Singh and SAD (Amritsar) nominee Simranjit Singh Mann had filed their nominations on Saturday.

Kamaldeep Kaur, the sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case, has been fielded by the Akali Dal for the bypoll.

While filing their nominations in Sangrur, the three candidates were accompanied by senior leaders of their respective parties.

Chief of Punjab's main opposition party, Congress, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accompanied Goldy, while Kewal Dhillon was accompanied by state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and party leader Sunil Jakhar among others and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and other party leaders accompanied Kamaldeep Kaur.

Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination, SAD's Kamaldeep Kaur appealed to all “Panthic” organisations to unite on a common platform to create a movement to ensure the release of Sikh prisoners who have been in jails even after the expiry of their term. She said she is contesting the bypoll for the cause of Sikh prisoners who are in jails for decades. Later, in a tweet, Sukhbir Badal said, "I appeal to Punjabis to shed all political differences to achieve freedom for Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners). Earlier also Pbis united in 1989 to elect Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann to Lok Sabha in absentia which resulted in the latter's unconditional release from jail. The same unity is needed today". "It is our bounden duty to relieve all Bandi Singhs including Bhai Balwant S Rajoana from the intense suffering they are undergoing. Bhai Rajoana has been incarcerated in 8×8 feet cell for 28 yrs without parole except once when he was allowed to attend his father's cremation," tweeted Badal. SAD has teamed up with panthic organisations to elect Kamaldeep Kaur to Lok Sabha to send a strong message to release all Sikh prisoners including Rajoana who are in jail even after completion of their life sentences, said Badal. Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Goldy said he wants to thank his party for reposing faith in him. "I want to tell people of Sangrur that I will forcefully raise their voice in the parliament and work for overall development of the constituency," said Goldy. Meanwhile, Kewal Dhillon said the BJP is the only alternative to address the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state. "People gave big mandate to AAP, but the party failed to give good governance to the people. Punjab's law and order situation is worsening while fiscal situation too is bad," Dhillon said.

State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, who accompanied him, said the people of Punjab are disappointed with the AAP dispensation "for misleading them to vote for a party which promised a better Punjab, but in fact has pushed them into chaos and lawlessness".

Describing Kewal Dhillon as a seasoned politician, he said people of Sangrur have long standing relationship with him and will make him victorious.

The Sangrur Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann successfully contested the Assembly polls from Dhuri.

Mann had won the Lok Sabha polls from Sangrur in 2014 and 2019. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 26.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)