setback-to-sad-jalandhar-west-bypoll-candidate-joins-aap

After Shiromani Akali Dal aka SAD publicly withdrew support for its Jalandhar West by-poll candidate, Surjit Kaur, switched to ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab on Tuesday.  

 

Joining AAP in the presence of the state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kaur affirmed her support for AAP's face for Jalandhar West Mohinder Bhagat for the by-polls.  

 

Last week, the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced its support for the BSP nominee in the upcoming July 10 by-poll for the Jalandhar West assembly seat. This decision comes despite having an officially fielded candidate, chosen by a panel. Two members of this panel have now rebelled against the party chief. 

 

The SAD could not withdraw its authorised candidate, Kaur, as the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations had already passed. Kaur along with some of her family members joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Jalandhar.  

 

Speaking after she joined the AAP, Mann hit out at the SAD, saying first they gave the ticket to Surjit Kaur, but later they humiliated her.

They (SAD) said they will support the candidate of some other party (BSP), said Mann.

The chief minister said Kaur and her family are known to have dedicated their lives to the service of people.

"As Punjab chief minister and as the party's state unit president, I welcome her," said Mann. 

 

Kaur later told reporters that it was on Tuesday morning that she decided to join the AAP. 

 

"We did not speak to anyone. We decided in the morning about our move," she said when asked if she had spoken to any of the rebel SAD leaders.

 

About her step to join the AAP, Kaur said she and her family thought it was the best thing to do in the interests of the people of the area after the SAD withdrew support for her. 

 

AAP leader Pawan Kumar Tinu said the ruling party's candidate is going to win the Jalandhar West seat by a big margin. Kaur's joining is going to strengthen the AAP, he said. 

 

The SAD now does not have its own authorised candidate for the July 10 bypoll, senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema told reporters on Thursday. 

 

On Wednesday, the SAD's Jalandhar district unit chief had announced that the party has withdrawn support to Kaur, who is a two-time municipal councillor. 

 

Kaur was selected for the seat by a SAD panel comprising Bibi Jagir Kaur, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi, and Mohinder Singh Kaypee. 
 
However, Jagir Kaur and Wadala are now among the rebel party leaders who revolted against Badal, demanding that he should step down as the party chief. 

 

The last date of withdrawal of the nomination for the by-poll was July 26.

Surjit Kaur had already been allotted the SAD symbol and she was among the 15 candidates who were left in the fray for the bypoll, which was necessitated following the resignation of Sheetal Angural as the AAP legislator. 

 

Notably, a section of SAD's senior party leaders have revolted against party chief Badal, demanding that he should step down from his post following its debacle in Punjab in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.