The prominent faces in the polls are Channi (Congress), 58; Mann (AAP), 48; Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD), 59; Amarinder Singh (BJP-led alliance), 80; and Balbir Singh Rajewal (Samyukt Samaj Morcha), 78….reports Asian Lite News
Congress on Thursday has appointed Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Singh Hooda as special observer for Punjab Assembly elections which goes to polls on February 20.
Congress has picked up incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate in a bid to “woo” Dalit voters, which has 32 per cent vote share in the state.
In his brief helm of 111 days, Channi built an image of the common man’s Chief Minister by extensively touring the state, occasionally performing ‘bhangra’ on the beats of a ‘dhol’ at public functions, favouring tea at roadside eateries while narrating couplets to the masses, besides accepting ‘siropas’ (religious robes) enroute by stopping his cavalcade.
The key opponents in the state — the AAP, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) combine and the BJP in alliance with Amarinder Singh’s new party Punjab Lok Congress and the Samyukt Samaj Morcha, the fledging coalition of farm unions — are making an issue out of the Congress CM’s face.
The prominent faces in the polls are Channi (Congress), 58; Mann (AAP), 48; Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD), 59; Amarinder Singh (BJP-led alliance), 80; and Balbir Singh Rajewal (Samyukt Samaj Morcha), 78.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three public rallies in poll-bound Punjab from February 14, state BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said on Wednesday.
The rallies will be held in Jalandhar, Pathankot and Abohar towns on February 14, 16 and 17, respectively, covering all three regions of Malwa, Doaba and Majha.
Sharma said the Prime Minister’s rallies would give boost to the confidence of all NDA candidates fighting the election.
In the fray for 117 seats in Punjab are three prominent parties — the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, and two alliances — the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (SAD-BSP) and the BJP-Punjab Lok Congress.
Punjab will go to the polls on February 20, while the counting of ballots will be held on March 10.
