In Punjab, Cong drops ex-Speaker

The Congress has replaced its senior leader and former Speaker Bir Devinder Singh, an MLA from Kharar, by Balbir Singh Sidhu, for the next month's Assembly elections but renominated a number of other sitting MLAs.

The party today released its second list of candidates.

Among the sitting MLAs who find a place in the second list are Om Prakash Soni from Amritsar West, Joginder Singh Mann from Phagwara (SC), Malkit Singh Birmi from Ludhiana Rural and Ripjit Singh Brar from Kotkapura.

Meanwhile, setting the poll process rolling, six candidates, most of them independents, today filed their papers on the opening day of the filing of nominations for the February 13 elections.