NEW DELHI: Congress today released its first list of 61 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab, fielding state unit chief Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi and Sunil Jakhar.
The party has retained 31 sitting MLAs, while dropping only three including Preneet Kaur, who made way for her husband Amarinder from the Patiala Urban Assembly seat.
The Congress has chosen seven new faces backed by “strong credibility and winnability criteria”.
The list includes five youths, six women, eight former MLAs and one former MP.
The names were cleared earlier by the Central Election Committee headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Amarinder said since there were too many aspirants, those who could not make it to the final list for Assembly polls will be accommodated once the party forms its Government. He appealed to all Congress workers to come together to campaign for the party’s victory in Punjab.
He said winnability is key criteria for selection and chose to go with winnable candidates across various cross-sections, striking a balance between youth, new faces and experience while giving adequate representation to women. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel