Amritsar/Chandigarh: The Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) yesterday announced human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s wife Paramjit Kaur Khalra and sitting MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi in the first list of seven candidates.
“Six political parties, including Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), Punjab Manch, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), have decided to fight the Lok Sabha elections under the banner of the Punjab Democratic Alliance”, notes a report in The Tribune (TT).
The alliance arrived at a consensus on 12 LS seats and announced following Candidates:
- MP Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala,
- Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra from Khadoor Sahib,
- Manwinder Singh Giaspura from Fatehgarh Sahib (SC),
- MLA Master Baldev Singh from Faridkot (SC),
- Vikram Singh Sodhi from Anandpur Sahib,
- Ex-IAS Chaudhary Khushi Ram from Hoshiarpur (SC),
- Balwinder Kumar from Jalandhar (SC)
Notably, Vikram Singh Sodhi was announced as its candidate by Bargari Insaaf Morcha by Bhai Dhian Singh Mand. He had later joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He is now announced candidate of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) to which BSP is also an ally.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira of the Punjabi Ekta Party said, “The alliance has been forged to liberate Punjab from the clutches of corrupt traditional parties of Congress and SAD-BJP that have looted the state turn wise for the past many decades.”
Responding to a query on differences with the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), he said it was unfair on their part to announce candidates without consulting the alliance partners.
It is notable that the SAD (Taksali), a split away faction of SAD (Badal), is trying to break deal with Aam Aadmi Party from which Dharamvira Gandhi and Sukhpal Singh Khaira had splitted.