Punjab assembly elections: Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Capt Sandhu and 11 others file nomination papers from Ludhiana
So far, 18 candidates, including covering candidates of main contestants, as well as some from little-known local party candidates have filed their papers for the Punjab assembly elections in Ludhiana which has 14 assembly segments.
As many as 13 candidates, including former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, filed their nomination papers for the Vidhan Sabha elections, in Ludhiana on Thursday.

So far, 18 candidates, including covering candidates of main contestants, as well as some from little-known local party candidates have filed their papers in the district which has 14 assembly segments.
Ashu’s assets increase by ₹1.56 crore
Cabinet minister and sitting MLA (Ludhiana West) Bharat Bhushan Ashu submitted his nomination papers to the ADC (urban development)-cum-returning officer (RO) Sandeep Kumar at the mini-secretariat. He was accompanied by his wife and councillor Mamta Ashu, mayor Balkar Sandhu, councillor Sunny Bhalla among others. Mamta Ashu has filed papers as Ashu’s covering candidates.
As per Ashu’s affidavits, his movable and immovable assets have increased by around ₹1.56 crore since 2017. As per the affidavits, Ashu had assets worth ₹7.31 crore in 2017 and it has increased to ₹8.87 crore now. These include cash in hand, bank deposits, jewellery, loans, commercial and residential properties etc.
Capt Sandhu’s assets rise by ₹6.5 crore
Captain Sandeep Sandhu, who had lost to Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Manpreet Ayali during the 2019 byelections, has filed his candidature from Dakha assembly segment. Sandhu submitted his papers to SDM (Ludhiana West)-cum-returning officer (RO) Jagdeep Saigal at the mini-secretariat on Thursday.
Sandhu was flanked by his family members as he came to file his papers. His wife, Puneeta Sandhu, is his covering candidate.
A scrutiny of his affidavits revealed that Sandhu’s assets have swelled by around ₹6.5 crore since 2019. In 2019, his total assets were valued at ₹5.03 crore, while it increased to ₹11.55 crore in 2022. These include cash, bank deposits, jewellery, residential and agricultural property etc.
Speaking to the media after filing his papers, Sandhu said, “A lot has changed after the byelections. People have seen the development done by Congress government. I am sure that people will acknowledge the work done by me and Congress in the segment. If voted to power, my vision is to create at least 2,000 jobs annually for the youth. The menace of drugs has reduced, but we will work to eradicate it completely.”
Others in the race
Besides, different candidates from various parties filed nominations from Ludhiana Central, Ludhiana West, Dakha Samrala, Sahnewal, Atam Nagar, Gill and Payal.
Three-time Congress MLA Surinder Dawar filed his papers from Ludhiana (Central). Four-time Congress MLA from Samrala Amrik Singh Dhillon and Congress leader Major Singh Bhaini from Sahnewal filed their papers as independents after failing to get a party ticket this time.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has named former cabinet minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal as its candidate from Ludhiana West, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is fielding Gurpreet Gogi from this seat. BJP has fielded advocate Bikram Sidhu from here and industrialist Tarun Jain Bawa is the candidate of Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM). They all are yet to file nominations.