The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its list of 92 candidates for the upcoming Municipal Corporation (MC) elections. Three candidates, who have switched over from other parties, have got BJP tickets. Advocate Gaurav Arora, formerly with AAP, switched to the BJP after being denied a ticket from Ward 43. The BJP has fielded him from the same ward.
Similarly, Neeru Sharma from ward number 51 and Pawan Garg from ward number 58, who recently joined the BJP, have also received tickets.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced its second list of candidates during a meeting led by senior leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, and Ranjit Singh Dhillon. The meeting, chaired by SAD Urban president Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, also appointed Mantar Singh Brar and SR Kaler as observers for the elections.
Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, who also heads the SAD Urban unit, has been named for Ward 60. Manpreet Singh, who recently joined SAD after leaving the BJP, has been declared the candidate for Ward 78 in the central constituency.
The party announced that Advocate Achla Bhanot, formerly a member of AAP’s legal cell and wife of Advocate Amandeep Bhanot, has joined the SAD and will contest from Ward 61. Other prominent candidates include Prem Kumar Batra (Ward 4), Gagandeep Kaur (Ward 15), Rita Devi (Ward 17), Gurpreet Kaur Ritu (Ward 21) and Saroj Devi (Ward 25).
The party’s campaign will focus on its achievements and promises of better governance, infrastructure, and civic amenities. The BJP is hoping to leverage its national stature and urban development agenda to make significant inroads in Ludhiana.
The MC elections are seen as a crucial test for all major parties to establish their foothold in the region, and the BJP appears determined to emerge as a strong contender.
Till now, the SAD has announced 64 candidates and the Congress 63.
On the third day of filing nominations, only 25 candidates have filed their nomination. So far, 26 nomination papers have been filed with a day left for filing papers.
