AAP leaders releasing first list of candidates for Punjab polls due early next year (PTI photo)
Chandigarh:
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday announced its first list of candidates for the Punjab elections, due early next year.
Lawmaker Bhagwant Mann, who controversially shot and broadcast a video of Parliament recently, and Sanjay Singh, AAP leader in charge of Punjab, released the list naming 19 candidates months before elections to the 117-seat assembly.
Mr Mann is also the chairman of the party's campaign committee in Punjab. He has linked the criticism to the elections in Punjab, where Arvind Kejriwal hopes to repeat his party's success in last year's Delhi election. Punjab was the only state where Mr Kejriwal's AAP won seats in the 2014 national election - four including Mr Mann's.
AAP has released a first list of candidates much ahead of political rivals Akali Dal and the Congress. Though the party had planned to release a list of 26 candidates, it announced only 19 names today as it faces rebellion by local leaders on some seats.
At today's event, the party's state unit convener Suchcha Singh Chotepur, who has not been given a constituency of his choice, was conspicuously absent.
On the list are well-known lawyer HS Phoolka who has been representing victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in court and former national basketball player and Arjuna award winner Sajjan Singh Cheema who joined AAP only recently.
The party is also fielding Raj Kumar, a retired Brigadier of the Indian Army who was a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to Sri Lanka.
Advocate Rupinder Kaur Rubi is the only woman candidate in today's list, she has been fielded from Bathinda rural.
Former President Giani Zail Singh's relative Kultar Singh will contest from Kotakpura. Former MP from Ferozepur Mohan Singh Phalianwala, who recently left BSP to join AAP, has been given Ferozepur rural seat.
Lawmaker Bhagwant Mann, who controversially shot and broadcast a video of Parliament recently, and Sanjay Singh, AAP leader in charge of Punjab, released the list naming 19 candidates months before elections to the 117-seat assembly.
Mr Mann is also the chairman of the party's campaign committee in Punjab. He has linked the criticism to the elections in Punjab, where Arvind Kejriwal hopes to repeat his party's success in last year's Delhi election. Punjab was the only state where Mr Kejriwal's AAP won seats in the 2014 national election - four including Mr Mann's.
AAP has released a first list of candidates much ahead of political rivals Akali Dal and the Congress. Though the party had planned to release a list of 26 candidates, it announced only 19 names today as it faces rebellion by local leaders on some seats.
At today's event, the party's state unit convener Suchcha Singh Chotepur, who has not been given a constituency of his choice, was conspicuously absent.
On the list are well-known lawyer HS Phoolka who has been representing victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in court and former national basketball player and Arjuna award winner Sajjan Singh Cheema who joined AAP only recently.
The party is also fielding Raj Kumar, a retired Brigadier of the Indian Army who was a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to Sri Lanka.
Advocate Rupinder Kaur Rubi is the only woman candidate in today's list, she has been fielded from Bathinda rural.
Former President Giani Zail Singh's relative Kultar Singh will contest from Kotakpura. Former MP from Ferozepur Mohan Singh Phalianwala, who recently left BSP to join AAP, has been given Ferozepur rural seat.
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