Chandigarh: The election fever in Punjab will be extended beyond the Parliamentary polls to be held in two phases on May seven and May 13.

Several by-elections are lined up and they may be fiercer than the Lok Sabha elections, political observers said here on Wednesday.

The by-polls will be one of the most keenly-contested electoral fights since they will witness Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal jumping in the assembly election fray for the first time.

The three assembly seats that are likely to see by-election this year will be Nurmahal, Majitha (in case former minister Bikram Majithia finally quits his seat as offered by him) and Banur.

Besides, the Congress has preferred to field two of its sitting MLAs, Partap Bajwa and O P Soni from Amritsar for parliamentary elections.

Banur assembly seat, represented by late Capt Kanwaljit Singh, a stronghold of the Akalis, may see his son Jasjit Singh Bunny contesting on the SAD ticket.

Then there is Akali nominee and MLA Sher Singh Ghubaya contesting from Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat. Assuming that he too wins the seat, another by-election will be held.
But what will hog the limelight is the seat from where Sukhbir decides to contest.

The Nurmahal seat is vacant following the death of SAD MLA Gurdip Singh Bhullar. — PTI