SAD released the list of 62 candidates: 44 from Malwa, 9 from Doaba and 11 from Majha fielded candidates in the electoral fray; First announcements were to be made in Sukhbir’s rallies

Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal. file photo

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Badal has released its list of 62 candidates for the likely Punjab Assembly elections for the next 6 months. Most of the seats are from Malwa. Earlier, these seats were to be announced during a 100-day tour of 100 assembly constituencies under the ‘Gal Punjab Di’ program by Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, but the program had to be canceled due to farmers’ protest.

In these seats, 25 seats have been announced before the ban on Sukhbir’s public meetings and the rest of the list has been released on Monday. According to the list, 44 candidates have been fielded from Malwa, 9 from Doaba and 11 from Majha. SAD is yet to announce its 35 other candidates. The BSP, which is in alliance with the SAD, is yet to announce candidates for its 20 seats.

Akali Dal released the list of candidates.

Shiromani Akali Dal is ahead of all the parties in the matter of ticket announcement and election campaign in the state. Till now the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the Congress has not even been able to brainstorm on this and the Akali Dal has distributed so many tickets. Sukhbir Badal himself also wanted to meet the people by going to all the Vidhan Sabha constituencies and also wanted to announce the candidate among the people. But after the lathi charge and clashes between farmers and police during Moga’s public meeting, they stopped their public meetings. But by releasing the list of candidates together on Monday, he has given strength to his election campaign.

Akali Dal candidates list.

SAD-BSP contesting in 97-20 between alliance
On June 12, 2021, the alliance broken in 1996 between Shiromani Akali Dal Badal and BSP was reunited. In the middle of the senior leadership, it was decided that 97 seats will be contested from SAD and 20 seats from BSP. Most of the Doaba seats, some Majha and some Malwa seats were given to the BSP for the elections. 62 seats have been announced by the Akali Dal and the BSP has not been able to announce on a single seat. The Akali Dal leaders have also spoken to the BSP leaders to speed up the election campaign. For this, a meeting of the coordination committee has also been held in Chandigarh.

Along with farmer organizations, opponents are also telling haste
The farmers’ organizations, who are fighting for the farming laws, are describing the public meeting being organized by Sukhbir Singh Badal as hasty. BKU Rajewal President Balveer Singh Rajewal says that Sukhbir Badal is in a big hurry. Sukhbir says that he is farmer-friendly, but by holding election rallies, he is harming the farmers’ struggle. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who left his own party, says that Sukhbir is not going to get any benefit of haste.