NEW DELHI: The BJP has fielded Kewal Dhillon for the Lok Sabha bypoll from Sangrur seat in Punjab, vacated earlier by Bhagwant Mann after he became Chief Minister. Dhillon, a former Congress MLA from Barnala, had joined the BJP with four other Congress leaders from the state last Saturday. Both he and Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy, also a former MLA, filed their nominations on Monday. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Kamaldeep Kaur also filed her nomination papers.
Mann had defeated Goldy, who was the MLA from Dhuri seat, in the Assembly polls. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has fielded its Sangrur district in-charge, Gurmail Singh, for the bypoll. The Congress Monday said it will not contest Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and rather focus on party reconstruction for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The party does not want to put up candidates in seats considered as Samajwadi Party bastions.