Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is preparing for a major electoral showdown, with indications that its jailed MP from Khadoor Sahib, Amritpal Singh, could contest against Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann from Dhuri in the Assembly election scheduled for next year.Party insiders confirmed that besides Khadoor Sahib, Amritpal Singh has expressed interest in contesting from Dhuri. The options of Talwandi Sabo and Rampura Phul are also being considered.Rashpal Singh Sosan, the party’s candidate from Kotkapura, admitted that the party chief was interested in contesting from Dhuri. He said, “We are considering all options, including Talwandi Sabo, Rampura Phul and Dhuri. A formal proposal based on the outcome of the meeting will be sent to him for approval.”He said the party has decided to take on big candidates on their home turf. Similarly, prominent faces of the party will be fielded against candidates of other parties.Dhuri is currently considered a stronghold of the ruling AAP. The town has witnessed major infrastructure upgrades and the launch of several government initiatives, including populist schemes like ‘Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana’.On the other hand, Waris Punjab De has already announced six candidates, including two who remain behind bars despite their detention under the National Security Act (NSA) being revoked.Party spokesperson Shamsher Singh Padhri said Amritpal’s father and parliamentary board chairman Tarsem Singh has declared Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala and Daljit Singh Kalsi as candidates from Moga and Ajnala, respectively.Both are currently in jail. Bukkanwala is lodged in Bathinda Central Jail after spending two years in Dibrugarh jail following his arrest in the Ajnala case in 2023.The other candidates announced include former SAD MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik from Gill, Jagjit Singh Baba from Kapurthala, and journalist-politician Rashpal Singh Sosan from Kotkapura. Earlier, the party had named Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh, who was convicted in the conspiracy to assassinate former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as its candidate from Bassi Pathana.Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali has also offered his seat to Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.