By IANS,
Chandigarh : Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal Tuesday announced the names of 15 more candidates for the Jan 30 state polls, including that of party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Badal will once again contest from Jalalabad. He had won the seat in a by-election in August 2009 by a margin of over 80,000 votes.
It had last week announced the names of 48 candidates, including that of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi assembly seat.
The Akali Dal has so far announced a total of 63 candidates. The party is likely to contest on 94 of the 117 assembly seats, leaving 23 seats for its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, who merged his Lok Bhalai Party with the Akali Dal last month, has been fielded from Mohali, adjoining Chandigarh.
Former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, who lost in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, will contest from Payal (reserved) seat, Akali Dal spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said here.
The list released Tuesday includes five sitting legislators, three former legislators, two former MPs and two women candidates. In the first list of 48 candidates, the Akali Dal had fielded six women nominees.
The single-phase election for the 117 assembly seats will be held Jan 30. The last date for nominations is Jan 12.
Main parties in the political arena are the Akali Dal-BJP combine, the Congress, People’s Party of Punjab (led by former finance minister Manpreet Badal) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The Akali Dal-BJP combine has been running an alliance government in the state since March 2007.