Cong releases 1st list of 86 candidates for Punjab polls; CM Channi to contest from Chamkaur Sahib
New Delhi(PTI): The Congress on Saturday released its first list of 86 candidates for the February 14 assembly elections in Punjab, fielding Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamkaur Sahib and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East.
The party has also fielded Punjab deputy chief ministers -- Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from Dera Baba Nanak and Om Prakash Soni from Amritsar Central, the seats they already represent.
Controversial Punjabi singer Sidhu Mussewala, who joined the Congress sometime ago will contest from Mansa and actor Sonu Sood's sister Malvika Sood from Moga.
Party's Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa will contest from Qadian assembly seat in Gurdaspur, which is represented by Bajwa's brother Fatehjang Singh Bajwa.
The list was released after the party's central election committee chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi cleared the names in its meeting held on Thursday.
The first list has as many as nine women candidates, representing around 10 per cent so far. The party has given 40 per cent seats to women in Uttar Pradesh, where it is going to polls with a focus on women empowerment.
The party has also adopted 'one family, one ticket' formula while distributing the party tickets.
Former PCC president and campaign committee chief Sunil Jakhar will not contest the assembly polls and his nephew Sandeep Jakhar will contest the Abohar assembly seat instead.
Similarly, Punjab minister Brahm Mohindra will not contest and his son Mohit Mohindra will contest in his place from Patiala rural assembly seat.
All other sitting ministers will contest from their respective constituencies they currently represent.
Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal will contest from Bathinda Urban, PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla from Sangrur, Water Suppy and Sanitation Minister Razia Sultana from Malerkotla and Industries Minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli from Khanna.
Other ministers like Rana Gurjit Singh will recontest from his Kapurthala assembly constituency, Tript Rajinder Bajwa from Fatehgarh Churian, Randeep Singh Nabha from Amloh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from Gidderbaha and Pargat Singh from Jalandhar Cantt.
Besides ministers like Sangat Singh Gilzian has been fielded from his Urmar seat, Aruna Chaudhary from Dina Nanagar, Raj Kumar Verka from Amritsar West-SC, Sukhbinder Sarkaria from Rajasansi and Bharat Bhushan Ashu from Ludhiana West.
Former deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has been fielded from Lehra constituency which she had lost in the last assembly polls.
Rupinder Kaur 'Ruby', who had switched sides from the AAP to Congress, has been fielded by the party from Malout-Sc seat. She was elected from Bathinda Rural in the last election on AAP ticket.
Punjab Youth Congress chief Amarpreet Singh Lally has been given the party ticket from Garhshankar.
Jagpal Singh Abulkhurana has been fielded from the Lambi constituency currently represented by Parkash Singh Badal.
The party is yet to declare its candidate for the Patiala Urban constituency which was represented by former chief minister Amarinder Singh. The party will also declare its remaining 31 seats for the 117 member assembly soon.
Punjab assembly elections are slated in a single phase on February 14 and the results will be out on March 10.
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38.23% voter turnout during the first half of the day in 14 LS segments in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): An estimated 38.23 per cent turnout was reported during the first half of the day in Karnataka, where the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in 14 of 28 constituencies is underway on Friday.
According to election officials, 38.23 per cent of the electorate in Karnataka had cast their vote till 1 PM. Voting began at 7.00 am and will end by 6.00 pm.
Out of 14 segments that are going to the polls today, the highest turnout of 48.10 per cent was recorded in Dakshina Kannada, followed by Udupi-Chikmagalur 46.43 per cent, and the least 30.10 per cent in Bangalore Central.
The turnout was 31.51 per cent in Bangalore South, and 32.25 per cent in Bangalore North.
In the first phase, the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance in (NDA) in September last year, in three -- Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.
Besides those three, the segments where elections are being held on Friday are Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkaballapur.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and in power in the state back then, had secured just one seat each in these 14 segments. The BJP had won in 11 and ensured the victory of a party supported independent candidate in Mandya.
On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar along with his family cast his vote at Doddalahalli in Kanakapura of Ramanagara district. Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh also cast her vote.
Cricketing legend Anil Kumble, Ayodhya Ram Mandir's Ram lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj and former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde were among prominent persons who cast their votes during the day, along with IT industry veterans Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mohandas Pai.
Biotechnology veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, after casting her vote, in a post on social media platform X said, "As a responsible citizen of our great country, I have cast my vote. Jai hind"
Film stars Upendra, Shivarajkumar and Sudeep too exercised their franchise during the first half of the day.
