Badal among 126 candidates to file nominations in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jan 22 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Prakash Singh Badal was among 126 candidates who filed their nomination papers today for the February 13 Assembly elections in Punjab.

However, no nomination papers, were submitted for the Amritsar Lok Sabha by-election.

Mr Badal filed his nomination papers as a SAD candidate from Lambi Vidhan Sabha constituency, while his brother Gurdas Singh Badal submitted papers as the 'covering' (independent) candidate for the former chief minister. The SAD chief is the sitting MLA from Lambi.

Mr Badal, who filed four sets of nomination papers, went in a procession to the office of the returing officer where he submitted the papers. Earlier, he paid obeisance at a gurdwara at Malout.

Besides, Mr Badal, the other prominent contestants who filed their nominations paper today are Congress candidate Amarjeet Singh Samra from Nakodar assembly constituency in Jalandhar distrct, senior SAD vice president Ranjeet Singh Brampura from Naushera Panuwan in Tarn Taran district, senior SAD leader Gurdev Singh Badal from Panjgrain (SC) in Faridkot and Mr Badal's nephew Manpreet Singh Badal from Giddarbaha in Muktsar district.

The maximum number of 13 nominations were filed in Jalandhar district, followed by Sangrur with 12, 11 each in Ludhiana and Patiala, 10 in Bathinda, eight each in Amritsar, Ferozepur and Muktsar districts, seven in Fatehgarh Sahib, six in Ropar district and five each in Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur. Four nominations each were received for Kapurthala and Moga districts. three each for Nawanshahar and Mansa and two each for Hoshiarpur, Mohali, Barnala and Faridkot districts.

Among who filed their nominations, 34 belonged to SAD, 25 to the BSP, 11 to the Congress, two to the BJP, four to the CPM and two to the CPI, while the rest were independents.

With today's nominations, the total number of papers submitted since the opening of nominations on January 19 rose to 195.

However, no candidate has so far filed the nomination for the Amritsar Parliamentary by-election, for which polling would also take place 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 time to 1700 time.

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