Shiromani Akali Dal releases names of five candidates in Punjab for Lok Sabha Polls

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday fielded sitting MP Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib as it released the names of five candidates in Punjab for upcoming Lok Sabha Polls. Chandumajra had defeated former Union Minister Ambika Soni in 2014. The seat was carved out after delimitation in 2008 and was won by the Congress in 2009.

Retired IAS officer Darbara Singh Guru has been nominated from Fatehgarh Sahib. It is a reserved seat represented by suspended AAP leader Harinder Singh Khalsa, who recently joined the BJP. The SAD stood a distant third in Fatehgarh Sahib in 2014 LS polls. 

From the Patiala Lok Sabha constituency, the SAD is fielding Surjit Singh Rakhra, a former minister in the previous Parkash Singh Badal government. 

The seat is currently held by AAP’s rebel MP Dharamvir Gandhi who had defeated former union minister Preneet Kaur. Gandhi is the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) nominee from Patiala this time.

While the names of Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib and former LS deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal from Jalandhar had been announced earlier, their names were formally included in the list on Monday.

The Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting on 10 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Its ally in the state, the BJP is contesting on the remaining three seats.

In 2014, the SAD and the BJP together won six seats in Punjab. Out of these six, two were won by the BJP. 

Following the demise of Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna in April 2017, the Congress claimed the seat from the BJP in the ensuing by-poll, thereby increasing its tally from three to four. 

The AAP has 4 MPs in Punjab.