Ex-AAP leaders on APP’s first list

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8

Several leaders who quit AAP after failing to get the party ticket have made it to the first list of about 15 candidates of Aapna Punjab Party (APP), to be announced tomorrow.

As per APP sources, the names were finalised at a meeting held at the residence of party chief and former AAP state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur in Mohali today. It includes nine candidates in the general category and six in reserved constituencies.

Hardip Singh Kingra, who was the training coordinator of the AAP’s state unit, will contest from Faridkot. He revolted against AAP after being denied the ticket from this seat.

The other candidates include Dr Surinder Kumar Dwivedi (Kotkapura), former joint secretary of the AAP’s labour wing; Gurvinder Singh Shahi (Bholath); Baljit Singh Bhatti (Beas); Major Jarnail Singh (Balachaur); and Gurvinder Singh Mananke (Tarn Taran).

Puneet Bhardwaj, son of former deputy chairman of State Planning Board RR Bhardwaj, will be fielded from Dera Bassi. RR Bhardwaj was the incharge of AAP’s intellectual cell.

A senior functionary of the party, who did not wish to be identified, said their first priority was to acknowledge the volunteers who were denied their due by AAP. “None of the candidates is an outsider. We have selected only those people who have worked at the grassroots level,” he said.