Congress fields spouses of MPs- Warring, Randhawa for Punjab bypolls

Ranjit Kumar was chosen by the Congress to run for the Chabbewal (SC) constituency after his previous bid for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on a BSP ticket ended in defeat.

The Congress announced its lineup of candidates on Tuesday for the upcoming by-elections on November 13 in Punjab. Among the candidates are Amrita Warring, wife of Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, contesting from Gidderbaha, and Jatinder Kaur, wife of Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, running from Dera Baba Nanak.

The need for by-elections in the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, and Barnala constituencies arose as the incumbent MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Amrita Warring was nominated by the party to contest from the Gidderbaha assembly constituency. Her husband, Raja Warring, emerged victorious in the elections held in 2012, 2017, and 2022.

Following MLA Raja Warring’s victory in the Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana earlier this year, the seat became vacant.

Upon emerging triumphant in the parliamentary election held in Gurdaspur, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa relinquished his position as the MLA representing Dera Baba Nanak.

Jatinder Kaur, the wife of the Congress candidate, has been nominated to run for the position.

In 2002, 2012, 2017, and 2022, Sukhjinder Randhawa emerged victorious in the elections for the Dera Baba Nanak assembly seat.

Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, the district president of Barnala for the Congress party, was chosen as the candidate to represent the Barnala assembly segment.

Following Gurmeet Singh Hayer’s victory in the general election for the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency, this seat became unoccupied. Gurmeet Singh Hayer had previously held this position as the AAP MLA.

The Congress party has selected Ranjit Kumar as its nominee for the Chabbewal (SC) constituency. Previously, Kumar ran as a candidate from the BSP in the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat but did not succeed.

The Chabbewal by-election was triggered when Raj Kumar Chabbewal, originally a Congress MLA but later aligning with AAP, won a seat in the Lok Sabha representing Hoshiarpur.

The election process for these constituencies is scheduled for November 13, with the vote tally set for November 23.

Nomination papers must be submitted by October 25, with the examination set for October 28, and candidates can withdraw until October 30.