Winnability will be most important factor during ticket distribution for Punjab polls, says Congress leader Sunil Jakhar
Dec 29, 2021
New Delhi [India], December 29 : Sunil Jakhar, Chairman of the campaign committee of Punjab Congress on Wednesday said that the winnability of a candidate will be the biggest factor in the ticket distribution for the Assembly polls in the state.
The former Punjab Congress president also said that other important factors will be to make sure that only one person from one family gets the ticket to contest elections.
He was talking to the media after the end of the meeting of the Punjab Congress Screening Committee in the national capital.
"The biggest basis for distribution of tickets is the winnability of a candidate. Another important factor will be that only one person from one family gets a ticket to contest the election," said Jakhar.
The winning MLAs will also be encouraged to contest elections again from their respective constituencies, he added.
Jakhar said that discussions on seats were taken during the meeting of the screening committee.
"The final decision will be taken by the CEC headed by Sonia Gandhi," he added.
Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is considering virtual rallies in view of COVID-19 and its Omicron variant, Jakhar asked why the ruling party at the Centre did not consider the same during West Bengal polls earlier this year and in Uttar Pradesh for upcoming elections next year.
"They are running away from facing the people. They do not even have excuses now. Earlier, there were farmers and their protests. Now even they have gone. Why are they running away now?" he questioned.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready for virtual election rallies and the party will follow the Election Commission's guidelines issued regarding polls in the wake of the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Talking about the applications to contest elections from various seats, the leader said that wherever the party has a sitting MLA, no applications have been filed from that constituency by anyone other than the sitting MLA. "On the other side, the seats where we do not have our MLAs, an average of 20-30 people have applied to contest," he added. 
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Maken took a swipe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that the party does not exist in Punjab.
"BJP does not exist in Punjab," he said.
Punjab assembly polls are slated for early next year.
