The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is ruling Punjab, has announced its first list of 40 candidates for the state Assembly elections scheduled for early next year. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is also on the list who will contest from the Dhuri constituency again.
Kejriwal Holds Meeting Before Announcement
This came after an intimate gathering at Arvind Kejriwal’s home in Delhi to discuss the issue of candidate selection on Friday. Kejriwal was joined at the meeting by-party leader and Punjab in-charge Bhagwant Mann, party chief Manish Sisodia and other top leaders.
The first list comprises candidates from several constituencies from which they hail with a representation of leaders who are currently in key positions in the party organisation and State government.
AAP Candidates
- Batala – Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi)
- Ajnala – Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal
- Amritsar South – Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar
- Tarn Taran – Harmeet Singh Sandhu
- Khem Karan – Sarvan Singh Dhun
- Nakodar – Inderjit Kaur Mann
- Kartarpur – Balkar Singh
- Dasuya – Karambir Singh Ghuman
- Urmar – Jasvir Singh Raja Gill
- Hoshiarpur – Bram Shanker Sharma Jimpa
- Chabbewal – Ishank Kumar Chabbewal
- Garhshankar – Jai Krishan Singh Rouri
- Balachaur – Santosh Kataria
- Rupnagar – Dinesh Chadha
- S.A.S. Nagar – Kulwant Singh
- Fatehgarh Sahib – Lakhbir Singh Rai
- Amloh – Gurinder Singh Garry Waring
- Samrala – Jagtar Singh Diyalpura
- Ludhiana East – Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola
- Atam Nagar – Kulwant Singh Sidhu
- Ludhiana Central – Ashok Prashar Pappi
- Ludhiana West – Sanjeev Arora
- Ludhiana North – Chaudhary Madan Lal Bagga
- Payal – Manwinder Singh Giaspura
- Nihal Singh Wala – Manjit Singh Bilaspur
- Bhagha Purana – Amritpal Singh Sukhanand
- Moga – Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora
- Dharamkot – Devinder Jeet Singh Laddi Dhos
- Jalalabad – Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy
- Fazilka – Narinderpal Singh Sawna
- Muktsar – Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar
- Kotkapura – Kultar Singh Sandhwan
- Jaitu – Amolak Singh
- Talwandi Sabo – Baljinder Kaur
- Sardulgarh – Gurpreet Singh Banawali
- Bhadaur – Labh Singh Ugoke
- Mehal Kalan – Kulwant Singh Pandori
- Amargarh – Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra
- Dhuri – Bhagwant Mann
- Patiala – Ajitpal Singh Kohli
BJP Questions Bains’ Absence
After the announcement, BJP raised questions about why the name of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains wasn’t on the list. The issue falls on top of several months of pressure on Bains: days after the BJP had demanded his resignation in July accusing him of ganging up against “impure” candidates in recruitment exams in the state.