Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s brother Manohar Singh on Sunday announced that he will contest as an independent candidate from the Bassi Pathana constituency after Congress denied him a ticket and fielded its sitting MLA Gurpreet Singh GP for ensuing Assembly polls.
Manohar Singh, who had resigned as senior medical officer from Kharar civil hospital, was eyeing to contest from Bassi Pathana. However, Mr. Singh was denied a ticket from the constituency apparently because of the party’s ‘one family, one ticket’ rule.
Dubbing the decision of the Congress to field Gurpreet Singh GP as “injustice” with the people of the constituency, Manohar Singh alleged that the sitting legislator was “incapable and ineffective”, reported India Today.
Speaking to news agency PTI over phone, Mr. Singh said that several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area had asked him to fight as an independent candidate. “I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls,” he added.
“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 Mr Singh, adding that he will talk to his brother Mr Channi and explain his decision.
In its first list of 86 candidates, the Congress gave the ticket to sitting legislator Gurpreet Singh GP, following which a miffed Manohar Singh said he would be fighting the elections as an independent candidate.
Punjab Assembly elections are slated in a single phase on February 14 and the results will be out on March 10.
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