Ex-Akali leaders feature in Congress third list for Punjab

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Congress party on Thursday announced its third list of 23 candidates, including a few former Akali leaders, for the Punjab assembly elections, as suspense over cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu joining the party continued.

The Congress did not announce the candidate for Amritsar (East) seat in the third list, from where Sidhu is likely to contest, replacing his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

The Congress has so far released names of its 100 candidates and is yet to announce the names of remaining 17 candidates for the 117 assembly seats, for the February 4 polls.

Sitting MLA Rajwinder Kaur Bhagikay from Nihal Singh Wala (SC), who quit the Shiromani Akali Dal in November last year features in the list. Kamaljit Singh Karwal, ex-Akali leader who recently joined the Congress, has been chosen to fight from Atam Nagar. Another ex-Akali leader to find his name in the list is Pritam Singh Kotbhai from BuchoMandi (SC).

Deepinder Singh Dhillon (Dera Bassi) is also among the new entrants to the Congress to get a party ticket. He was expelled by the SAD last year.

Another notable name in the list is of sitting Congress MLA Rakesh Pandey from Ludhiana North.

Among the first-timers Davinder Gubaya, son of sitting Akali MP Sher Singh Gubaya, has been nominated from Fazilka. The list consists of two women candidates, taking the total number of women candidates named to 10.

The party has nominated Karmjit Kaur Chaudhary, wife of Jalandhar MP Santok Singh Chaudhary, from Phillaur (SC).

Tejinder Bittu, former Jalandhar Improvement Trust chairman (Jalandhar North), and former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee (Adampur) are among the other prominent names in the list.

From Dasayu, Arun Dogra, son of former Punjab minister Ramesh Chander Dogra, has been given the chance again this time.

The third list was released by Congress General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry.