BJP Announces 3 More Candidates For Lok Sabha Polls In Punjab, Fields Subhash Sharma From Anandpur Sahib

With these nominations, the BJP has now finalised candidates for 12 out of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, leaving Fatehgarh Sahib reserve constituency.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced its candidates for three more Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Among the newly named candidates is former minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, who will contest from Ferozepur. Additionally, Subhash Sharma to contest from the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency, while Arvind Khanna will represent the party in Sangrur.

With these nominations, the BJP has now finalised candidates for 12 out of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, leaving Fatehgarh Sahib reserve constituency. For the first time in many decades, the BJP is fighting on its own in the state following the break in its ties with the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of its oldest allies, reported PTI.

Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, the BJP's candidate from Ferozepur, served as the sports minister in the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab. He left the Congress and joined the BJP in 2021. He won the Guruhar Sahai Assembly segment in Punjab in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 on Congress tickets.

In the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Sodhi is contending against Congress' Sher Singh Ghubaya, AAP's Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, and SAD's Nardev Singh Bobby Mann for the Ferozepur parliamentary seat. Notably, the incumbent representative, Sukhbir Badal of the SAD, has opted not to contest this election.

Punjab Goes To Polls On June 1

The BJP's candidate for the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat, Subhash Sharma, served as the senior vice president of the BJP's Punjab unit. Sharma's candidacy sets the stage for a competitive electoral battle against prominent opponents, including AAP's Malvinder Singh Kang, Congress' Vijay Inder Singla, and SAD's Prem Singh Chandumajra.

Former MLA Arvind Khanna, filed from the Sangrur, will face AAP's Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Congress' Sukhpal Khaira, SAD (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann and SAD's Iqbal Singh Jundan.

Khanna won the Sangrur assembly seat in 2002 and 2012 on Congress tickets. He joined the BJP in 2022. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly elections from the Sangrur seat on a BJP ticket.

The BJP has won over a lot of influential leaders, including incumbent MPs from different parties, to its fold in its bid to strengthen its base in the state. It has also been assiduously wooing Sikhs, who are a majority in Punjab.Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1.