Bathinda MC: Senior Badal tries to pacify rebel councillors who had put in papers
BADAL SENIOR VISITED COUNCILLOR NIRMAL SINGH SANDHU’S RESIDENCE IN THE EVENING AND TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM TO REJOIN SAD
BATHINDA: After Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal had accepted the resignations of four Bathinda municipal corporation (MC) councillors from the party, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal came forward for damage control, here on Wednesday.
Badal senior visited councillor Nirmal Singh Sandhu’s residence in the evening and tried to convince him to join back SAD and is expected to visit other disgruntled leaders as well.
Sandhu, along with three other councillors — Harmandar Singh, Rajinder Singh Sidhu, and Baljit Singh — and some office bearers of the party had resigned last week on Saturday. All of them are considered as the key leaders of SAD in Bathinda.
Harmandar and Nirmal are members of the finance and contracts committee (F&CC) of the MC, while Rajinder was the main complainant against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2007 case, where the latter had dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh during a congregation of the dera followers at Salabatpura here.
The councillors had resigned alleging that hired people are calling shots in party affairs here, while elected representatives had no say. They added that the party is deviating from its ideology.
Sukhbir had accepted the resignations stating that the party will not be harmed by their exit. However, senior Badal’s move to placate them has come as an attempt to damage control the situation ahead of the 2019 LS elections, where Union minister Harismrat Kaur Badal is expected to re-contest from this segment.
Meanwhile, rumors are making rounds that these rebel councillors may join Congress on Thursday. Rajinder said that they are joining Congress.
However, Jaijeet Singh Johal, brother-in-law of state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, said the rebels are in talks with Congress leaders, but plan to induct them is yet to be finalised.
Nirmal could not be contacted for a comment, but it is being speculated that he has dropped the idea of joining Congress.