Because there are no new faces in the first list, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to field 10 MLAs again.
The Aam Aadmi Party, reportedly a strong contender in the state this time, has released the first list of candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, just days before the polls.
Arvind Kejriwal’s party has announced a slate of ten candidates.
Furthermore, all ten are first-time legislators. The party released the list after Rupinder Kaur Ruby, the sitting MLA from Bathinda Rural (reserved), joined the Congress on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal, who represents the Raikot (reserved) seat in the state assembly, openly supported chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Hissowal later stated that he would not be joining the Congress.
However, after Ruby left the AAP, Harpal Cheema stated that she would not be getting the AAP ticket and had thus joined the Congress. When party leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira rebelled against the AAP leadership, both Ruby and Hissowal supported him.
All ten are the previously elected MLAs from their respective constituencies. Earlier, AAP MLA from Bathinda Rural Rupinder Kaur Ruby quit the party and joined the Congress in the presence of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Kejriwal’s party has had a difficult time in the state over the last five years. In the 2017 assembly elections, the AAP tried its luck for the first time and did well, winning 20 seats in the state and securing the status of the main opposition party.
Harpal Singh, the party’s leader in the Punjab Assembly elections, has received a ticket from Dirhba. Aman Arora, the party’s leader, will run from Sunam again, while Baljinder Kaur will run from Talwandi Sabo. Gurmit Singh will run for election in Barnala, while Kultar Singh will run in Kotkapura.
It is worth noting that the Aam Aadmi Party has experienced two setbacks in the last two days. Rupinder Kaur, a former Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bathinda Rural, has joined the Congress.
During the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on Thursday, AAP MLA Jagtar Singh Jagga switched sides to the Congress cFive states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur — will hold elections early next year. In contrast, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will hold elections later in the year. Except for Punjab, the BJP controls all of these states.
Jai Kishan Roudi will represent Garhshankar, Manjit Bilaspur will represent Nihal Singh Wala, Kultar Singh Sandhwan will represent Kotkapura, Budhram will represent Budhlada, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer will represent Barnala, and Kulwant Pandori will represent Mehal Kalan.
The election for the 117-member Punjab assembly is set for early 2022. The Election Commission, however, has yet to release the polling schedule. It will be an exciting election because senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh, under whose leadership the party fought and came to power in the last elections, has left the party following a dispute with state chief Navjot Sidhu.
2017 Elections:
In the 2017 elections, the AAP won 20 seats. As a result, its adequate strength has shrunk to 11, with five MLAs, including Khaira, joining the Congress. Kanwar Sandhu has been suspended from politics, while HS Phoolka has resigned.
The remaining two candidates, Baldev Singh and Amarjit Sandoa, have been in and out of the party with unannounced candidacy. Furthermore, Baldev Singh was removed from the state assembly last week.
