Congress pits Manpreet Badal from Bathinda against Harsimrat

NEW DELHI: Congress today announced to field People's Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat against sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the wife of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

To avoid confusion Manpreet will contest from the seat on the Congress symbol, though he has not yet merged his party with the Congress.

Congress will contest the remaining 12 Lok Sabha seats, with polling in Punjab's 13 seats scheduled for April 30.

Manpreet is cousin of Sukhbir Badal and nephew of state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who is also in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, said that a decision to field Badal on the Congress symbol has been taken to avoid confusion among party supporters about the candidate whom they have to vote.

Asked about the possibility of Manpreet joining the Congress and merging his outfit with it, Ahmed said this has not been discussed so far and Manpreet himself will take a call on this after the Lok Sabha elections.

The party's Central Election Committee also decided five other candidates, including changing of two in Junagarh in Gujarat and Bardhaman-Durgapur in West Bengal.

Senior leader Pradeep Tamta, close to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has been fielded from Almora Lok Sabha seat while K C Singh Baba has been fielded from Nainital- Udhamsingh Nagar.

While Punjabbhai Vansh replaces Jashubhai Barad in Junagarh, Pradip Agasty replaces Bipin Bora in Bardhaman- Durgapur seat.

S V Ramani has been fielded from Chennai South in Tamil Nadu.