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.
Singh had resigned as Senior Medical Officer (SMO) from Kharar civil hospital as he was eyeing to contest from Bassi Pathana. But the ruling Congress is instead fielded sitting MLA Gurpreet Singh GP from the Bassi Pathana (SC) assembly seat.
CM Channi has been lobbying to get a ticket for his brother but he was denied a ticket as Congress has stuck to the one-ticket one family formula. Therefore, Singh has decided to fight as an independent candidate against the official candidate of the party.
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In its first list of 86 candidates, the Congress gave the ticket to sitting legislator Gurpreet Singh GP, who is considered close to state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Speaking to PTI, Singh said that several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area had asked him to fight as an independent. “I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls,” he added.
He said he took the decision of contesting as an independent after meeting several councillors, village sarpanch and panch who asked him to fight the polls.
“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 Singh. He also said he will talk to his brother Channi and convince him about his decision.
(With inputs from agencies)