22 candidates file nominations in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) state unit chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri were among 22 candidates who today filed their nominations for the February 13 Punjab Assembly polls.

Besides Mr Bhunder from Sardulgarh segment, the other (SAD) candidates who today filed their papers included Gurcharan Singh (Gurdaspur), Manjinder Singh Kang (Beas), Sukhdarshan Singh Mrar (Muktsar).

Mr Karimpuri filed his papers from Mahilpur, a reserved constituency, while his party colleagues who filed nominations included Rajinder Singh from Morinda, Paramjit Singh from Shutrana reserved constituency and Buta Singh from Jalalabad.

Communist Party of India's (CPI) Balwinder Singh filed the papers from Majithia.

Not a single candidate of the ruling Congress and the BJP, the SAD's ally, has so far filed the nomination.

Amongst the eight independent candidates who filed their papers today included SAD rebels Jagteshwar Singh from Majithia and Harinder Singh from Ajnala. The other independents inclued Ram Isher Singh (Dakala), Amarjit Singh Cheema (Sirhind), Niranjan Singh and Mukhtiar Kaur (both from Lehragaga) and Daljit Singh from Mahilpur reserved constituency.

The others who filed their nominations today were Communist Party of India Marxist's (CPIM) Gurdial Singh from Nangal and Santokh Singh of Democratic Bharatiya Samaj Party from the reserved Phagwara constituency.

As many as six candidates had submitted their candidatures yesterday, the first day of filing of nominations.

However, no candidate has so far filed the nomination for the Amritsar Parliamentary seat, for which the ballots would also be cast on February 13. The seat had been vacated by BJP's Navjot Singh Sidhu after his conviction in a 19-year-old road rage murder case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December six.

The last date for filing of nominations is January 25 and scrutiny will be held on January 27. Ths last date of withdrawal of candidatures is January 29. Polling will be held on February 13 from 0800 hours to 1700 hours.

The counting of votes for both assembly and Amritsar Lok Sabha polls would take place on February 27.

The election process will be completed before March two.

UNI