Jalandhar : Congress party has announced Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, wife of former Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who collapsed during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, as its party candidate for the upcoming bypolls in the Lok Sabha seat.
"Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary as the party candidate to contest the forthcoming by-election to the Lok Sabha from 4-Jalandhar-SC parliamentary constituency of Punjab," the party said in a statement on Monday.
The Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency has been lying vacant since January after Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary passed away due to a cardiac attack.
The 77-year-old collapsed in Ludhiana while walking alongside Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra's Punjab leg on January 14. The bypolls in the seat were necessitated after Chaudhary's death.
Rahul Gandhi later met the family members of Santokh Singh in Jalandhar. "Shocked by the sudden demise of Santokh Singh Chaudhary. He was a down-to-earth hardworking leader, a pious person and a strong pillar of the Congress family, who dedicated his life to public service from Youth Congress to Member of Parliament. I express my condolences to the bereaved family," tweeted Rahul Gandhi in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled Chaudhary's demise. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi had said, "Pained by the passing away of MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary Ji. He will be remembered for his efforts to serve the people of Punjab. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti."
However, the Election Commission has yet to announce the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bye-elections date.