It is a battle of prestige in the Ludhiana LS seat between Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and three-time sitting MP Ravneet Bittu, who joined BJP about three months ago.
Ludhiana is a stronghold of Congress that has won from here 11 times since 1952 and with last three wins in a row.
While Warring, 46, is a three-time MLA, Bittu, 48, is a threetime MP, twice from Ludhiana and once from Anandpur Sahib.
Bittu is grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, a hero of anti-terrorism campaign who was assassinated in a terror attack while in office in 1995.
Now in BJP, Bittu banks on Hindu and urban votes and NDA govt’s achievements mand initiatives. Narendra Modi who was in Punjab to campaign for the party candidates, dubbed him his friend.
Terming AAP government as bankrupt hence incapable to carry out any development, Bittu has been reiterating his promise to get open Wagah border for the crossborder trade with Pakistan, a PGIMER, a metro train to Ludhiana industrial city and connectivity to the UK, Europe, North America and setting up of Shaheed
Kartar Singh Sarabha airport at Halwara in Ludhiana. Bittu is the lone Zplus protectee candidate. Warring banks on consolidated base of Congress.
Prominent Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjeet Bains and his brother Balwinder Bains, a former MLA, aka Bains brothers of Ludhiana, joined Congress recently.
The former is facing rape charges. AAP has fielded MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi, SAD has fielded former MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, 46
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who has remained the president of Youth Congress from 2014 to 2018, has been MLA thrice in a row from Gidder baha, Sri Muktsar Sahib since 2012. He was the transport minister during the Charanjit Channiled govt. He unsuccessfully contested Bathinda LS poll against SADs Harsimrant Kaur Badal. He was appointed state Congress chief in 2022.
Ravneet Singh Bittu, 48
Ravneet Singh Bittu won from Anandpur Sahib in 2009 and from Ludhiana twice in a row in 2014 and 2019.
He served as the leader of Congress in the LS from March 11, 2021, to July 18, 2021. He is the grandson of former CM Beant Singh.
