Bikram Majithia may contest from Amritsar East only as wife files nomination from Majitha

Taking on the poll challenge in Amritsar, SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia has decided to fight only from Amritsar East. His wife Ganieve Grewal has filed for nomination on Tuesday from his home constituency - Majitha. The 3-term MLA faces Congress' Navjot Singh Sidhu for Amritsar East in the upcoming Punjab polls. Punjab goes to polls on February 20, results to be out on March 20.

Bikram Majithia to fight only from Amritsar East

Earlier on Monday, Majithia himself had filed his nominations from both Majitha and Amritsar (East). Majithia has won the Majitha seat in 2007, 2012 and 2017, while Sidhu is the current Amritsar East MLA. Taunting Majithia, Sidhu had challenged him to fight only from Amritsar East. In response, Majithia had said, "A few days are remaining for filing of nomination papers and I may contest only from Amritsar East to fulfill his (Sidhu) wish".

Akali Dal has fielded the heavyweight ex-cabinet minister in a bid to put pressure on Sidhu. Majithia has been relentlessly attacking Sidhu and CM Charanjit Channi since he was given pre-arrest bail by Punjab High Court. Majithia, who has been booked in a drugs case, has accused Channi of money laundering in the sand mining cases and alleged that Sidhu was 'Pro-Pakistan'. He has also accused Sidhu of mistreating his mother based on Sidhu's sister - Suman Toor's claims. 

Majithia has been booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, on the allegations of his alleged involvement in a drug racket in the state. The report, naming Majithia, was filed by anti-drug special task force chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana High Court three years ago in 2018. But the FIR was filed mere weeks ago by ADGP Harpreet Sidhu. Recently, the Supreme Court told Majithia to surrender before the trial court before February 23, in lieu of elections.

Punjab Poll campaign

In Punjab, the ruling Congress is heavily embroiled in infighting between Punjab CM Charanjit Channi and Navjot Sidhu - both eyeing to be Congress' CM face. The grand old party faces a rising AAP which has declared Bhagwant Mann as its CM face and a beleagured Akali Dal-BSP. It also faces the unlikely combination of BJP-Amarinder Singh, apart from the farm union political leaders.