Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju said Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Om Prakash Soni and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia were among the 176 candidates who filed their nomination papers on Friday.
With this, the total number of nominations filed so far has reached 302. The nomination process that started on January 25 will continue till February 1. Meanwhile, Majithia, while filing his nomination papers from Amritsar East, accused sitting MLA and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu of “failing” the people of the constituency.
Earlier, Majithia also filed his nomination papers from the Majitha constituency, from where he is the sitting MLA.
In Amritsar, he said that now the public will decide the fate of those who have “betrayed and deceived” him. “Amenities like roads, sewerage and quality drinking water have not been provided as of now. Navjot Sidhu has been representing this constituency in one form or the other for more than 18 years. He hasn’t done anything for it.
“Now people will ask him for his report card. He cannot fool them with some imaginary ‘Punjab model’. He will have to tell the residents of Amritsar East why they failed him as their representative,” he said.
Earlier in Majitha, the Akali leader targeted Congress and AAP candidates Jagwinder Singh Jagga Majithia and his elder brother Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majithia respectively.
“Elder brother, Lalli Majithia, always represented the Congress, but jumped into the AAP. His place has now been taken by his younger brother. Earlier both the brothers had fought over the loot of corruption. However, this greed and opportunism have exposed both. This also proves my argument that AAP is the B team of Congress.
Majithia also alleged that the Congress government tried its best to stop him from contesting the assembly elections. “The Congress government even raided my residences, although the High Court had clearly said that it would consider my appeal to give me time to get relief from the Supreme Court,” he said.
He said, ‘We have also complained to the Election Commission and demanded action against the officials responsible for this.
According to an affidavit filed along with the nomination papers, Majithia declared his residential and agricultural properties in Amritsar and Shimla and 29 bus route permits granted by the state transport authority.
Majithia and his wife declared movable assets worth Rs 6 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 5.35 crore. He also announced an investment of Rs 2.29 crore in shares and debentures.
The SAD leader also declared pending criminal cases against him in Amritsar, Mohali, Chandigarh and Ferozepur.
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