Congress names Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary for Jalandhar Lok Sabha Byelection

Congress has taken the lead over all other parties by naming its candidate for Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.

The party has named  Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary. She is the widow of former MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary who died while participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra by Rahuil Gandhi.

Jalandhar is considered a stronghold of Congress as it has won the seat eight times while on remaining three occasions, it has gone to Akali Dal once and twice it went to former Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral. On both the occasions when Mr Gujral won, Shiromani Akali Dal supported him.

Aam Aadmi Party, the ruling party in the State, faces an uphill task in making a dent in Jalandhar. In the previous by-election to Lok Sabha from Sangrur, it lost to Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar candidate Simranjit Singh Mann.

Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance is also expected to name its candidate in the next few days. Bharatiya Janata Party, eyeing Punjab as a future destination, may also contest on its own.

The Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for holding this by-election.

It will be an acid test for AAP  to assert its position  as it does not have any of its representatives in Lok Sabha though it has complete monopoly in Rajya Sabha where its nominees occupy all seats allocated to the State.

Prabhjot Singh