New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday announced the first list of 86 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly, according to which Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will contest from his traditional seat Chamkaur Sahib.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has been fielded from Amritsar East Assembly Constituency while Chairman of Punjab Congress Manifesto Committee and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa will contest from Qadian Assembly Seat, as per an official statement. Senior ministers of Channi's cabinet have also retained their tickets for the polls: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been fielded from Dera Baba Nanak constituency and OP Saini from Amritsar Central. The lone Minister Brahm Singh Mohindra has been dropped but his son has been given ticket from his seat.

Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Sunil Jakhar has got success in getting ticket for his nephew Sandeep Jakhar from Abohar Assembly constituency. It is also important to note that actor Sonu Sood's sister, Malvika Sood who recently joined the Congress party, will be contesting from Moga constituency and singer Sidhu Moosewala from Mansa seat.

Meanwhile, Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, Congress won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured three seats. (ANI)