Remember Captain Amarinder Singh challenging Navjot Singh Sidhu from Patiala in the upcoming assembly polls? While Sidhu may not have accepted Singh’s challenge, the Congress on Sunday fielded former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma from what’s been a fiefdom of sorts for the former Punjab chief minister.
In the third list of candidates announced by the Congress, Sharma has been pitted against Singh, who won this seat in 2017 by beating BJP candidate General (retd) JJ Singh by more than 60,000 votes.
Singh has won from Patiala in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. Speaking to local TV channel, Singh ahd said last year, “If Sidhu has doubts about my capability, he can come and contest from Patiala. He will also lose his deposit like General JJ Singh.”
Amarinder Singh has now severed ties with the Congress and formed his own party, which will fight this year’s assembly polls in alliance with the BJP.
Another highlight of the third list was Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who will now be contesting from Bhadaur (SC) seat as well as from his traditional seat Chamkaur Sahib. Channi has represented this seat since 2007.
Punjab goes to the polls for 117 seats in a single phase on 20 February. The counting of votes will take place on 10 March.
