Ajay Maken made the announcement following a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday night. (File Photo) The Congress has decided to stick to its “one-family-one-ticket” rule in the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and would also not allow sitting MLAs to change their seats.
Ajay Maken, the chairman of the screening committee of Congress, announced the development at a meeting in New Delhi late on Wednesday.
All India Congress Committee secretary Harish Chaudhary told The Indian Express that only one member from a family would be given a ticket in the upcoming polls.
The development will affect Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, whose younger brother, Dr Manohar Singh, had resigned as a senior medical officer at Kharar Civil Hospital in Mohali a couple of days ago and staked claim for the Bassi Pathana Assembly seat. The Congress already has a sitting MLA, Gurpreet Singh GP, who is being backed by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Sidhu.
Cabinet ministers Brahm Mohindra and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa were also looking to field their sons in the upcoming polls. Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjit Singh was also seeking a ticket for his son from Sultanpur Lodhi, a constituency represented by Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema. However, Sidhu had recently backed Cheema’s candidature during a public rally.
Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa has also staked for the Qadian seat that is represented by his younger brother Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa. Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh has also indicated that he will throw his hat in the ring. His son is also an MLA.
Sources said Maken told those attending the meeting that the decision was taken by the high command of the party. The Congress party was planning to announce its first list of candidates before Christmas but has not been able to hold a Central Election Committee meeting yet. “It is unlikely before Christmas now,” a source said.
The screening committee also discussed that the party should hustle and prepare the first list of obvious candidates. “There are several constituencies where we have sitting MLAs and there is no strong opponent. There are several ministers, too, and there’s no change there as well. It was discussed that the party should announce these tickets first and later take a call on the challenging ones,” the source added.
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