Punjab polls 2022: SSM candidates to file nominations today

Chandigarh, Jan 31: Sanyukt Samaj Morcha leader Prem Singh Bhangu on Sunday said his party's candidates for the February 20 Punjab assembly polls will file their nomination papers on Monday. His statement came after the SSM, a political outfit of farmers, could not get itself registered with the Election Commission of India as a political party and also failed to get a common symbol for their party candidates.

"Our candidates will file their nomination papers on Monday," said Bhangu.

Another party leader said they have demanded a common symbol for all the candidates but it is yet to be seen whether they get it. Notably, the nomination papers can be filed till February 1.

Punjab's various farmer bodies which had taken part in the stir against the Centre's now-repealed three farm laws and had launched their political front are contesting the state assembly polls in alliance with the Haryana BKU (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party.

Chaduni's party is fighting on 10 seats while the SSM will contest on the rest of the 107 seats of the 117-member Punjab assembly. The SSM leader said they are yet to get any response from the ECI on registration to their outfit. Bhangu said whatever objections the ECI had raised in the application form for the registration of the SSM as a political party had been rectified and the form had been resubmitted.

The ECI had raised some objections related to the Income Tax returns and the address proof of the SSM in the application form for the registration of the outfit as a political party. The SSM had also sought 'tractor' or 'tractor-trolley' as its poll symbol from the ECI.

The SSM has already declared 112 candidates for fighting the next month's assembly elections. Voting for the Punjab assembly polls will be held on February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.