Chandigarh: A day after the Congress announced the first list of 86 candidates for the Punjab Assembly poll, the party struggled to contain rebellion as one of its ticket aspirants switched to the BJP while another jumped into the poll fray as an Independent.
Hectic parleys continued throughout the day to placate the rebels even as the Congress screening committee held discussions to finalise names for the remaining 31 seats. CM’s brother Dr Manohar Singh, who has been denied the ticket from Bassi Pathana reserved segment, announced his candidature as an Independent. Channi is learnt to have supported his brother’s candidature.
Dr Manohar, who recently quit as a Senior Medical Officer, accused sitting MLA Gurpreet Singh GP, PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu and a few others of conspiring against him. Nimisha Mehta, whose candidature was supported by Channi from Garhshankar, joined the BJP. Moga MLA Dr Harjot Kamal had switched to the BJP. Spelling more trouble for the party, PPCC ex-chief Mohinder Kaypee warned of taking “harsh steps” if Adampur candidate Sukhwinder Kotli wasn’t replaced.
