Punjab Cong declares ‘One family one ticket’ for 2017 Assembly election

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh cleared that only one member from a family will get ticket to contest 2017 assembly elections on the party symbol.

"No person will be given chance to contest from two assembly seats. Only one member from a family will get ticket," he told reporters here after the meeting of various committees of Punjab Congress.

In Punjab 1661 applications have been received by the party from candidates to fight polls on Congress symbol. There are 117 assembly seats in Punjab and many candidates and family members have applied on multiple seats to fight polls.

Singh said that out of total applications 1025 are of general category, 636 reserve and over 500 youths below the age of 45.

With cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu keeping his cards close to his chest after resigning from the Rajya Sabha seat, Singh said Sidhu is welcome to join the Congress.

"Sidhu belongs to an old Congress family with his father remaining a member of the party. He (Sidhu) has got DNA of Congress in him," he said.

"We can find an eminent role for Sidhu in the Congress," he said.

Rejecting that there was an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wave in Punjab, Singh claimed the Congress would decimate Akalis and AAP in the 2107 assembly polls.

He said that Congress doors are open to suspended Akali Dal MLAs Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria.

He said that the Congress election manifesto will be a comprehensive document listing issues of youths, farmers, drugs, agriculture, dalits, women and urban.