Punjab Polls: BJP Releases First List of 34 Candidates; Ticket to 12 Farmers, 8 Dalits & 13 Sikhs

Assembly elections: While releasing its first list of 34 candidates for the Punjab assembly elections, the BJP again attacked Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, highlighting the sand mining scandal in his constituency and accusing him of promoting those guilty of drug trafficking. 

Raising the subject of the state's deteriorating security condition, the BJP stated that even the Prime Minister is not secured there, referring to the January 5 security lapse episode in which the Modi was halted on a flyover while travelling by road. 

The saffron party announced a list of 34 candidates for the February 20 elections in the state, including 13 Sikhs, eight from the scheduled castes and 12 farmers. 

Tarun Chugh, general secretary of the BJP, claimed the list was released at the party's headquarters and that the party has provided representation to all sections of society, and the first list included 12 persons from farmer families, besides doctors and other professionals. 

A former minister and a Cong MLA who recently joined the party are among the names on the list. Manoranjan Kalia, a former minister, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, a former Congress MLA who joined the BJP, Arvind Khanna, a former Congress MLA from Sangrur, and Kanwarveer Singh Tohra, the grandson of late Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra. 

Referring to recent Enforcement Directorate investigations and the discovery of large amounts of unaccounted cash, the BJP leader said that the Punjab CM was "deeply implicated" in corruption and that persons close to him were involved in the sand mining scam. 

The BJP is competing in coalition with the Punjab Lok Congress, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (Sanyukt).

Arvind Khanna from Sangrur, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar Central and Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi from Ferozepur City have been nominated by the BJP. 

The press conference was also attended by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab BJP in-charge Dushyant Gautam.