Cong clears 25 seats for Punjab, list soon

Chandigarh : The Congress’ central election committee, headed by party chief Sonia Gandhi, met here today and is learnt to have cleared another 25 seats though the declaration of candidates may take a day or two. The committee will meet again to clear the rest of the seats. It had earlier announced 61 candidates. The Punjab Assembly comprises 117 seats.
The Kharar seat, represented by Jagmohan Kang, and the Muktsar seat, represented by Karan Kaur Brar, are learnt to have been cleared too. Indian Youth Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring will now have to recontest his Gidderbaha seat. He had wanted to be shifted to Muktsar.
Sources said Deepender Dhillon’s candidature from Dera Bassi was almost final.The committee kept those seats pending where former SAD members are likely to be fielded. These seats are expected to be announced last.
There was no discussion on former minister Manish Tewari’s candidature, said sources. The Ludhiana East, Samana and Sanaur seats are yet to be cleared. These are tricky seats. Party MLA from Sanaur Lal Singh has sought that he be allowed to contest from Samana.