CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal announced 64 candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections on Monday, becoming the first political party to do so in the poll-bound state.
In a statement, the SAD said Sukhbir Singh Badal will contest from Jalalabad, Tota Singh from Dharmot, Janmeja Singh Sekhon from Zira, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema from Ropar, Maheshinder Singh Grewal from Ludhiana West, Sikander Singh Maluka from Rampura Phul, Jagmeet Brar from Maur, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon from Sahnewal and Gulzar Singh Ranike will contest from Attari. Anil Joshi, a former BJP leader who joined the party recently, is candidate from Amritsar (North).
While party president Sukhbir Badal will contest from Jalalabad, his father and party patron Parkash Singh Badal does not figure in the list. The party has not announced any candidate from Lambi from where he is a sitting MLA.
“Our party president had already announced 22 candidates earlier in the last few months. With this list, we have decided 64 candidates. The remaining 33 candidates will be declared in the coming months,’’ said party spokesman Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema. “As we have an alliance with the BSP, our party will fight on 97 seats and the BSP will contest in the remaining 20 seats.” Cheema added that new faces were given tickets apart from the sitting MLAs. “People from across the society have been accommodated in the list.”