16 Ministers in Congress list for Punjab Assembly poll

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC Chief Shamsher Singh Dullo, Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Darbari Lal figure in the Congress list of 98 candidates for the Assembly election in Punjab to be held on February 13.

Capt Singh has been renominated from Patiala while Mrs Bhattal will again contest from her old consitituency, Lehra Gaga. Mr Darwari Lal will contest from Amritsar Central while Mr Dullo replaced his wife and sitting MLA Harbans Kaur from Khanna (Reserve).

There are in all seven women contestants including Mrs Bhattal in the first list released by AICC today, following the meeting of the Central Election Committee of the Congress party, chaired by Party President Sonia Gandhi, here last night.

Prominent among those who donot figure in the first list are Finance Minister Surinder Singla, Senior Congress leader Bir Devinder Singh and Arvind Khanna, a relative of the Chief Minister who contested from Sangrur in the last assembly election.

Another prominent name in the list is Joginder Singh Mann, nephew of Former Bihar Governor Buta Singh, who contested the last election from Phagwara (Reserve).

Mr Sunil Jakhar, son of Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar has been accomodated from Abohar.

Former Delhi Police Comissioner Prittam Singh Bhinder will contest from Gurdaspur. Mr Bhinder is the husband of former Rajya Sabha member, Mrs Sukhwans Kaur Bhinder who passed away last month.

Mrs Gurkamal Kaur (Jalandhar Cantt) and Mr Tej Parkash (Pyal), daughter and son respectively, have also been given Congress tickets.

Mr Rajnish Kumar, son of Assembly Speaker Dr Kewal Krishan has been asked to contest from Mukerian. The Speaker had opted out of the contest due to his old age.

Besides Capt Singh and Mrs Bhattal the ministers who have been renominated are: Hans Raj Josan (Jallalabad), Jasjeet Randhawa (Ghanaur), Harnam Dass Johar (Ludhiana West), Rakesh Pandey (Ludhiana North), Ramesh Dogra (Dasuya), Amarjeet Singh Samara (Nakodhar), Sardool Singh (Jandiala), Jagmohan Singh Kang (Morinda), Partap Bajwa (Kahnuwan), Jagjeet Singh (Kartarpur), Raghunath Sahia Puri (Sujanpur), Gurkamwal Kaur (Jalandhar North) and Mohidner singh Kaypee (Jalandhar South).

Mrs Aruna Chaudhary (Dina Nagar), Mrs Sukhjinder Kaur Rana Kalkat (Tanda), Mrs Razia Sultan (Malerkotla) and Mrs Harchand Kaur (Sherpur) are the women contestants other than Mrs Bhattal and Mrs Gurkamal Kaur.

Mrs Razia Sultan is the lone muslim candidate from Congress while Mrs Ibrahan Irshad is the only Christian candidate.

UNI