As many as 931 candidates, including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, on Tuesday filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, officials said. Tuesday was the last day for filing nominations.
A total of 2,279 candidates have filed their nomination papers, said Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju. Channi filed his nomination papers from Chamkaur Sahib seat. Rebel Congress leader Daaman Bajwa, who was denied a ticket by the party, filed her nomination papers from Sunam seat as an Independent. The Congress has fielded Jaswinder Dhiman, the nephew of Aamargarh MLA Surjit Dhiman, from Sunam.
Punjab minister Rana Gurjit Singh's son Rana Inder Partap also filed his nomination papers from Sultanpur Lodhi seat as an Independent. The Congress has fielded sitting MLA Navtej Cheema from Sultanpur Lodhi. Punjab deputy speaker and sitting MLA from Malout Ajaib Singh Bhatti's wife Manjit Kaur filed her nomination as an Independent from Bhadaur seat.
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Besides Chamkaur Sahib, Channi is contesting the elections from Bhadaur. Channi's brother Manohar Singh, rebel Congress leaders Angad Saini and Amrik Singh Dhillon have already filed their nominations as Independents from Bassi Pathana, Nawanshahr and Samrala respectively after they were denied tickets by the Congress.
The scrutiny of nominations will be done on February 2 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is February 4. Voting for Punjab's 117-member assembly will be held on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
With PTI Inputs
