Uma Bharti's party announces 12 candidates for Punjab polls

Chandigarh, Jan 15 (UNI) Uma Bharti's Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) today announced the names of 12 candidates, including a BJP rebel, for the Punjab assembly elections to be held on February 13.

Mr Ram Lal, a former MLA who was denied the BJP ticket, will be the BJS nominee from Narot Mehra (reserve) constituency. He had won from this constituency in the 1997 assembly polls.

The other candidates whose names figure in the first list released by BJS national secretary, Mr Vishwanath here today include Ashutosh Vinayak from Malerkotla, Krishan Bansal-Fazilka, Subhash Trehan-Ferozepur City, Anil Kumar-Kharar, Ajay Chatrath-Jalandhar Central, Bobby Chandalia-Ludhiana (East), Rajeev Bhasin-Ludhiana West, Pardeep Jindal-Ludhiana North, Kamlpreet Singh Bawa-Ludhiana South, Vijay Modgil-Dhariwal and Roshan Lal Dabra-Muktsar.

The announcement of the first list comes after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Prakash Singh Badal ignored the advances of the BJP and decided to continue its alliance with its old ally, the BJP.

UNI