With the Punjab elections to be held next year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sangrur Bhagwant Mann will be contesting agianst Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Jalalabad assembly segment. The Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, today, announced the candidature of Bhagwant Mann against the state deputy CM in the upcoming assembly elections.
However, the candidature of Sukhbir Singh Badal was not announced in the first list by the ruling party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The Aam Aadmi Party had plans to rally in the constituency of the Deputy Chief Minister to carry out a strong message ahead of the Punjab elections, thereby ensuring their strong hold in the area. Reportedly, Arvind Kejriwal had plans to address 21 rallies in Punjab for 10 days till November 30.
According to sources the party’s decision to give Bhagwant Mann the candidature for the Jalalabad constituency came following Mann’s interest to contest the deputy CM. The AAP leader had previously, in public gatherings, addressed his interest to fight in the Sukhbir Singh Badal’s stronhold.
The AAP had previous examples of fighting major candidates in the constituencies dominated by strong leaders of opponent parties. The party chief Arvind Kejriwal had taken on former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the Delhi Assembly eleection and Bharatiya Janata Party supremo Narendra Modi in Varanasi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.