Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu has expressed his desire to contest the Punjab Assembly elections, saying he wants to return to active state politics after spending nearly 17 years in Parliament and work directly for the people of Punjab.
Sources say the development opens opportunities for the BJP in a state where the party has traditionally struggled to establish a strong foothold independently. By inducting leaders with established local networks—someone like Raghav Chadha, who was seen as a de facto CM in the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab before things went awry—it is a smart, calculated expansion strategy ahead of the polls.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has disqualified five candidates, who contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
Sonu Sood's sister Malvika Sood Sachar, who is contesting from Punjab's Moga seat on Congress ticket, is hopeful of winning the Assembly elections.
Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of Assembly elections.
In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1304 candidates who are in the fray from 117 constituencies.
Former chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh are contesting from their traditional seats Lambi (in Muktsar) and Patiala Urban respectively.
Addressing the media, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu said the new government will procure oilseed, pulses, and corn from farmers.
Amarinder said he was for good relationships between the two countries, but the Pakistani Prime Minister and his army were being too hostile towards India, which was unacceptable.
The Election Commission has issued 12 notices issued to different political parties in Punjab for causing noise pollution.
