Denied Congress ticket, Punjab CM Channi's brother Manohar Singh to contest polls as Independent

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's brother Manohar Singh, who was eyeing a Congress ticket from Bassi Pathana Assembly seat, on Sunday said he will contest as an Independent from the constituency after the ruling party fielded its sitting legislator.

As per NDTV, Singh was denied a ticket from the constituency apparently because of the party's 'one family, one ticket' rule. Channi is yet to react to the announcement. Bassi Pathana falls in the Puaadh cultural region of Punjab and is seen as the home turf of Channi and his community

The Congress on Saturday gave the ticket to party MLA Gurpreet Singh GP from Bassi Pathana (SC) seat in its first list of 86 candidates,

Singh dubbed the decision of the Congress giving ticket to Gurpreet Singh GP as "injustice with the people of the constituency" and alleged that the sitting legislator was incapable and ineffective.

Several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area have asked me to fight as an Independent and I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls, Singh told PTI.

"I will contest as an independent and ensure the defeat of the sitting Congress MLA who has been fielded again," he was seen telling a gathering of supporters in a video.

Singh had in August last year resigned as a senior medical officer from Kharar civil hospital, as per PTI.

“People told me it was wrong to give the ticket to him (Gurpreet Singh GP). He had earlier not done anything and now he has again been foisted upon,” said Singh.

According to PTI's report, Singh said he will talk to his brother Channi and convince him about his decision.

On the 'one family-one ticket' formula of the Congress for the upcoming Assembly polls, Channi said the party fielded Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, who is the son of Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, from Phillaur seat.

Similarly, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Amar Singh's son Kamil Amar Singh has been given the ticket from the Raikot seat, he said.

Last year, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had inaugurated the poll office of Gurpreet Singh GP at Bassi Pathana constituency.

Voting for Punjab's 117 Assembly seats will be held on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on 10 March.

With inputs from agencies

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