Raja Warring to contest from Ludhiana, Vijay Inder Singla from Anandpur Sahib

Raja Warring to contest from Ludhiana, Vijay Inder Singla from Anandpur Sahib

Chandigarh: The Congress on Monday announced four more candidates for Lok Sabha election in Punjab. The announcement for the Ferozepur candidate is still awaited. The party had earlier announced the names of eight candidates. The party has fielded Congress state chief Raja Warring from Ludhiana against BJP candidate Ravneet Bittu, who recently left the Congress to join the BJP.

Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa has been named from Gurdaspur, Zira MLA Kulbir Zira from Khadoor Sahib and former cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla, a former MP from Sangrur, from Anandpur Sahib.

With Monday’s list, the party has announced candidates for 12 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. It is yet to name its nominee from Ferozepur constituency. The latest names were finalised at the party’s Central Election Committee meeting held on Saturday. A Jat Sikh, Warring had unsuccessfully contested from Bathinda seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He was the transport minister in the previous Congress government. Earlier, the name of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu was also doing the rounds for Ludhiana seat. BJP’s Bittu has represented Ludhiana parliamentary constituency twice. He recently left the Congress and joined the BJP.

Randhawa, the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, was the deputy chief minister in the previous Charanjit Singh Channi-led government. He is the sitting MLA from Dera Baba Nanak seat and also the Congress in-charge for Rajasthan. A four-time MLA, Randhawa will take on BJP’s Dinesh Babbu, SAD’s Daljit Singh Cheema and AAP’s Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi. Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by BJP’s Sunny Deol.

The Congress picked Singla for Anandpur Sahib constituency. Singla will face SAD’s Prem Singh Chandumajra and AAP’s Malvinder Singh Kang. The BJP is yet to name its candidate from this seat.

A former MP, Singla had unsuccessfully contested from Sangrur assembly seat in the 2022 Punjab polls. He was elected to the assembly from Sangrur in 2017. He served as the PWD minister in the previous Congress government. Zira, the Congress candidate from Khadoor Sahib, will face AAP’s Laljit Singh Bhullar, BJP’s Manjit Singh Manna Mianwind, SAD’s Virsa Singh Valtoha and Amritpal Singh, who is contesting as an Independent.