Chandigarh: With weeks left for the much-crucial Punjab Assembly Election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced its first list of candidates. The list has names of 34 candidates of BJP and its alliance partners who will contest the February 20 Punjab polls on Friday.
"Today BJP is announcing the first list of 34 candidates for the Punjab Elections 2022," Punjab BJP in-charge Dushyant Gautam told reporters earlier.
While making the announcement, Tarun Chugh, BJP National General Secretary said that the party has given tickets to 12 candidates who belong to farmers' families, 8 tickets to members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and 13 tickets to Sikhs.
He also said that BJP's first list of candidates includes doctors, lawyers, sportspersons, farmers, youth, women and former IAS officers.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's former aide Nimisha Mehta has been fielded by BJP from Garhshankar constituency. She had recently joined BJP.
Apart from Mehta, another women candidate Renu Kashyup has been fielded from Dina Nagar. Kabbadi player Ranjit Singh Khojewala has been fielded from Kapurthala assembly seat.
Retired IAS officer SR Laddhar has been fielded from Gill assembly constituency.
As per reports, BJP has announced the list of 34 candidates, while its alliance partners will also release the first list of their candidates separately.
BJP's alliance partners for Punjab Assembly election are Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress.
The three parties have formed a six-member committee, two each from three parties to decide the seat-sharing formula. The three parties will also make a common manifesto.
Polling for 117 seats of Punjab assembly will be held on February 20 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.