Jalandhar byelection: Punjab Congress puts up united front as Karamjit Kaur files papers - Hindustan Times
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Jalandhar byelection: Punjab Congress puts up united front as Karamjit Kaur files papers

Apr 14, 2023 12:42 AM IST

Senior leaders of Punjab Congress set their differences aside on Thursday and put up a united show as their candidate, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, filed her nomination papers for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection

Jalandhar : Senior leaders of Punjab Congress set their differences aside on Thursday and put up a united show as their candidate, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, filed her nomination papers for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.

Senior leaders of Punjab Congress set their differences aside on Thursday and put up a united show as their candidate, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, filed her nomination papers for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.
Senior leaders of Punjab Congress set their differences aside on Thursday and put up a united show as their candidate, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, filed her nomination papers for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.

The byelection was necessitated after her husband Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who was the sitting MP, died after suffering a heart attack during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 14.

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A special bus was arranged on Thursday for the Punjab Congress leaders to reach the deputy commissioner’s office in Jalandhar for the nomination process.

Those present included former chief ministers Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Charanjit Singh Channi, leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, election campaign in-charge Rana Gurjeet Singh and party MLAs.

The leaders held a brief meeting before they accompanied party candidate in filing nomination papers.

The Jalandhar bypoll is dubbed to be a crucial electoral battle for the political outfits before the final showdown of 2024 general elections.

Warring said, “Congress leaders have come out in full strength. We will go all out for campaigning in favour of our candidate. We want to tell opposition parties that Congress leaders are united. The senior leadership will camp in Jalandhar till the elections and will carry out extensive canvassing.”

Sidhu said the Congress has fielded most credible candidate and it is the moral responsibility of the party to stand by this family. “We will being all disgruntled leaders and workers, if any, under one platform,” said Sidhu.

The Congress has remained undefeated in the constituency since 1999. In 1998 general elections, former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral got elected from the seat as a Janta Dal candidate.

In 1999, Congress’ Balbir Singh won the Jalandhar seat followed by Rana Gurjeet Singh in 2004, Mohinder Singh Kaypee in 2009 and Santokh Singh Chaudhary in 2014 and 2019 general elections.

In the 2022 state assembly polls, the Congress won five of the nine seats in Jalandhar district.

Cong to approach EC against govt: Bajwa

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday accused the AAP government of using arm-twisting tactics by advancing the summoning of the former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi by the vigilance bureau on April 14.

He said the Congress will file a written complaint with the Election Commission of India against the state government for hindering Congress leaders to campaign for Jalandhar bypoll.

“We will request ECI to stop state government for summoning of Congress leaders till May 10,” Bajwa said.

Four nominations filed on first day

Four candidates filed their papers on the first day of the nominations for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, scheduled to be held on May 10. Besides Congress’ Karamjit Kaur, Maninder Singh and Rachna Devi filed nominations from the Peoples’ Party of India (Democratic).

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Navrajdeep Singh is a senior staff correspondent. He covers agriculture, crime, local bodies, health and education in the Patiala district of Punjab.

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