Deepkamal Kaur
Jalandhar, February 1
On the last day of filing of nomination papers for the Punjab polls, the Congress on Tuesday decided to drop the name of its already announced candidate from Adampur Sukhwinder Kotli and give the ticket to ex-minister MS Kaypee.
Kaypee said he had been told by the party high command to ready his papers and that he would receive his authority letter shortly. Kotli, on the other hand, is learnt to be in Chandigarh since Monday night ever since the ticket went on hold.
In the review of the ticket post last midnight, CM Charanjit Singh Channi seems to have prevailed in the matter as his brother’s son is married to Kaypee’s daughter.
Kaypee had been fuming ever since he was denied the ticket in the first list that came about two weeks ago. He was seeking a review either from Adampur or Jalandhar West. He had contested from Adampur in 2017 but had lost to SAD’s Pawan Tinu by nearly 7,500 votes.
In the last fortnight, Kaypee had held meetings in Adampur against the party’s participation. Since Kotli, who was earlier with the BSP, had been roped in by minister Pargat Singh, Kaypee had even threatened to contest as Independent against Pargat from Jalandhar Cantonment. The Congress’s move to change its warhorses at the last moment is certainly expected to come as a huge boost to Akali candidate Tinu.
Congress to drop Sukhwinder Kotli from Adampur, to give ticket to Kaypee
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