Sidhu kick-starts campaigning in Amritsar, receives warm welcome from Congress

New Delhi: Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday reached Amritsar to kick-start  his campaigning for the elections starting with a road show. Sidhu received a warm welcome from Congress supporters on his arrival in Amritsar.  The Congress on Monday announced that Navjot Sidhu will be the party nominee from Amritsar East, whereas; Punjab PCC president Amrinder Singh will take on Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal from his pocket borough of Lambi. Announcing the names six more candidates and changing the nominees for four seats for the Punjab Polls, a Congress statement said that Ranjit Singh will fight from Bholath in place of Gurwinder Singh Atwal while Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary will replace Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary Phillaur (SC). Amarinder had requested the party high command for permission to contest against Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi seat. Amarinder will also contest from his traditional Patiala urban seat. It said that Jagbir Singh Brar will contest from Nakodar while Avtar Singh Sanghera (junior) will replace Rajkumar Gupta in Jalandhar North. Similarly the party nominated Pargat Singh from Jalandhar Cantt while Malkiat Singh Dhaka will fight from Jagraon SC in place of Geja Ram. Ravneet Bittu will contest from Jalalabad while Harinder Singh Mann will contest from Sanour. Having joined Congress after hectic negotiations, cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu today said he was a "born Congressman" who was coming back to his roots and would be ready to work under anybody appointed by the high command and contest from where the party wants him to. Nominees for the pending seats of Amritsar South, Mansa and Ludhiana East will be announced by Tuesday, the release said. Polling will be held in Punjab on February 4. Election to the 117-member Punjab assembly, promises to be three-way fight between the ruling SAD-BJP combine, Congress and the new entrant AAP.