Punjab elections: Former IPS officer among 30 fielded by AAP in 2nd list

Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was part of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case, was among 30 candidates announced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday for Punjab assembly elections next year.

This is the second list of candidates announced by AAP. Last month, the party had announced 10 candidates who are all sitting legislators.

According to the second list, Singh was given a party ticket from Amritsar North seat.

The former bureaucrat had opted for premature retirement in April this year after the Punjab and Haryana high court quashed the SIT report on the 2015 firing incident. Singh, a former inspector general of police, joined AAP in June.

Besides Singh, Raman Bhal, who quit Congress and joined AAP last month, was given a ticken from Gurdaspur, as per the list signed by AAP state in-charge Jarnail Singh and state president Bhagwant Mann.

Bahl, son of former minister and four-time Gurdaspur MLA Khushal Bahl, is former chairman of Punjab State Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSSB). He also served as president of Gurdaspur municipal council twice.

Punjabi singer Balkar Singh Sidhu will contest from Rampura Phul while former deputy commissioner of police Balkar Singh will fight the polls from Kartarpur (reserved) seat.

The election to the 117-member Punjab Assembly is due early next year.