It's Sidhu vs Majithia in Amritsar East constituency

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday announced that senior party leader and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia will also fight the state assembly elections from Amritsar East against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sukhbir Badal also announced the candidature of his 94-year-old father and five-time state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from the Lambi assembly seat.

The SAD chief made the twin announcements while talking to reporters in Amritsar.

Majithia will ensure that Sidhu would forfeit his security deposit, said Badal.

He had already been announced as the SAD candidate from the Majitha seat earlier.

Booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act last month, Majithia has been trying to secure an anticipatory bail from courts.

Majithia was denied relief by the Punjab and Haryana high court early this week but was given three-day protection from arrest to move the Supreme Court to challenge the high court order and seek the reprieve.

With the announcement of candidates for two more seats, the SAD has declared candidates on all 97 seats on which it is going to contest the February 20 assembly polls.

The SAD has tied up with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the coming elections.

According to the seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties, the BSP will field candidates on 20 of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab while the rest will be contested by the Shiromani Akali Dal.