BJP candidate list 2017 Punjab Assembly Elections: View full list of BJP candidates contesting from 23 seats of Punjab

In the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections, BJP succeeded in winning 12 of the 23 seats contested.

Chandigarh, Jan 16: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released two list of candidates who would be contesting in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections 2017. The party is fielding candidates from a total of 23 seats. The names of candidates announced has reportedly disappointed BJP Punjab unit president Vijay Sampla. Reports claimed on Monday that he has offered his resignation.

In the second list of 6 candidates released on Monday, BJP dropped two incumbent ministers in Akali-BJP government – Madan Mohan Mittal and Chuni Lal Gupta. Both the veteran politicians have been denied tickets. BJP’s Central Election Committee chief JP Nadda, while announcing the second list of candidates, stated that the incumbent MLAs have either been dropped due to their ages crossing 75-year mark, or due to their vulnerability to lose, considering that Akali-BJP alliance is facing 10 years of incumbency.

In the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections, BJP succeeded in winning 12 of the 23 seats contested. They drew a vote share of 39 per cent in the 23 seats where they contested. Pollsters claims that party has a loyal vote bank among the Hindu voters of the state.

In the run-up to Punjab Assembly elections, voices within BJP had urged the central leadership to breakaway from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and contest the elections independently. BJP legislature leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu had demanded BJP President Amit Shah to breakaway from the alliance, considering the reported anti-incumbency against Badal regime. Her husband and former BJP MP from Amritsar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, had accused the Badal regime for the growing drug menace in the state.

Here are the candidates declared by BJP in the first list:

AC Name	Name of Candidate
Sujanpur	Shri Dinesh Singh Babbu, Sitting MLA
Bhoa (SC)	Smt. Seema Kumari, Sitting MLA
Pathankot	Shri Ashwani Sharma, Sitting MLA
Dina Nagar (SC)	Shri V.D. Dhupad
Amritsar West (SC)	Shri Rakesh Gill
Amritsar Central	Shri Tarun Chugh
Amritsar East	Shri Rajesh Hani
Jalandhar North	Shri K.D. Bhandari, Sitting MLA
Mukerian	Shri Arunesh Shakar
Dasuya	Smt. Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi, Sitting MLA
Hoshiarpur	Shri Tikshan Sood
Ludhiana Central	Shri Gurudev Sharma Devi
Ludhiana West	Shri Kamal Chetli
Ludhiana North	Shri Praveen Bansal
Firozpur City	Shri Sukhlal Singh “Nannu”
Abohar	Shri Arun Narang
Rajpura	Shri Harjeet Singh Grewal

Following candidates were declared in the second list:

AC Name	Name of Candidate
Amritsar North	Shri Anil Joshi, MLA
Phagwara (SC)	Shri Somprakash, MLA
Jalandhar West (SC)	Shri Mohindra Bhagat
Jalandhar Central	Shri Manoranjan Kalia, MLA
Anandpur Sahib	Shri Parmindra Sharma
Fazilka	Shri Surjeet Jyani, MLA

Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled on February 4. All the 117 seats would be contested. The incumbent regime of Parkash Singh Badal is reportedly facing a massive anti-incumbency against them. Apart from ABP News-Nielsen survey, all other opinion polls have predicted their defeat in the forthcoming polls. Election results would be declared on March 11.