Congress Second List For Punjab Polls Skips Navjot Sidhu's Wife

Chandigarh: The Congress has announced its second list of candidates for the Punjab assembly polls today, but the name of Dr Navjot Kaur - wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu - was not among the 16 named in it.

Dr Navjot Kaur, the sitting legislator from Amritsar East constituency, had joined the Congress recently after a recent meeting between Mr Sidhu and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

Captain Amarinder Singh, the Congress's Punjab chief and candidate for chief minister, has made it clear that party will field only one person from a family. It has been left to the couple to decide who will contest from the Amritsar East seat. But Congress sources say the party is keen to have Mr Sidhu campaigning as soon as possible.

Former Hockey star Pargat Singh had also joined the party along with Mrs Sidhu. But the announcement of his candidature has also been withheld as many are opposing a ticket for him from the Jalandhar Cantonment seat.

Of the 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab, the Congress has announced candidates for 77. In today's list, six of the party's sitting legislators have been retained. Two of them have been named from different constituencies.

The notable names in the second list include Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha), Amrik Singh Dhillon (Samrala), Jagmohan Singh Kang (Kharar) and Karan Kaur Brar (Muktsar). The youth candidates named were Birenderjit Singh Pahra (Gurdaspur) and Daman Thind Bajwa (Sunam). The list also includes three newcomers - Darshan Lal Mangepur and Harwinder Singh Laddi (ex-PPP), along with Nirmal Singh Nimma, a 2-time MLA from BSP.

As with the first list, only candidates who are credible and have a chance to win, have been given tickets, said state Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh.