In the Punjab Assembly polls, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Provincial Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu are contesting from their old constituencies. Congress has announced the names of 6 candidates in the first phase out of 118 seats in Punjab. Apart from Channi and Sidhu, two other notable names on the list are Deputy Chief Ministers Sukhjendra Singh Randhawa, Omprakash Soni, and Malvika, sister of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood.
Channi is the Chief Ministerial candidate from Chamkaur Sahib Center in the Rupnagar district. The Dalit-Sikh leader of the Congress has won from this constituency in three consecutive assembly elections of 2006-17. The two deputy chief ministers Sukhjendra and Omprakash will also contest from their old seats, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district and Amritsar Central Assembly constituency. Malvika has been nominated for the Moga constituency.
On the other hand, Sidhu has again become a candidate in the Amritsar East assembly constituency. From February 14, the 116-seat Punjab Assembly will vote in one go. Will the Congress, led by Channi, will be able to save their government in Punjab for the second time in a row, or whether Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or BJP will win. The battle is yet to be started.
