With Gurdaspur set for Lok Sabha by-election in next three months, necessitated after the demise of sitting Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Vinod Khanna, the political parties are keeping their cards undisclosed. 

The three main parties- Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not disclosing their candidates even as the leaders with local connections have begun their unofficial campaign. 

BJP has already indicated its intention to field Khanna's widow Kavita Khanna, who has visited Gurdaspur four times since the actor-turned-politician's demise on April 27, 2017 to nurture the constituency. 

On the other hand, AAP in Punjab is under a transition mode after the leadership changes at the state level. In case with Congress, lobbying from the side of probable candidates is much intense. Speculations are rife about former AAP convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich's (Ghuggi) tie-up with Congress on a condition if he is being given the ticket. Ghuggi said he is yet to get over with the AAP episode. "There are people associated with political parties who are asking me to join them. I will decide my next course of action if transparency will be assured, as it was missed in AAP. Till then I will concentrate on my films and shows," Ghuggi said.

Similarly, local leader Ashwani Sekhri, who had lost Batala assembly seat with just 400 votes is another prospective candidate in Congress camp. "It was a close fight in assembly elections. I have got a full support from the people. The final call will be taken by Captain Amarinder Singh", he said.

Interestingly, party leaders are also curious about whether the party will apply the 'one-family, one-ticket' rule and thereby scuttle chances of its leaders like Qadian legislator Fatehganj Bajwa's son Kunwar Partap Singh Bajwa, who is presently general secretary of Youth Congress or that of his sister-in-law and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa's wife, former Qadian legislator Charanjit Kaur Bajwa to contest.

However, the party leadership has pointed out that no such claim has been made by any of the political families for the party ticket so far.

"The schedule of the elections is quite far yet. The candidate will be decided by parties after winning confidence of all party members.

There is still no talk about the probables", Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, told The Statesman.

Gurdaspur by-election would have to be conducted mandatorily till October, within six months of its falling vacant following the death of sitting BJP MP Vinod Khanna on April 27.