Chhotepur clears air, says his APP won’t side with any party
CHANDIGARH: Apna Punjab Party (APP) president Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Saturday made it clear that he will not side with any political party in the October 11 Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll.
The APP, floated by Chottepur after he parted ways with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) well ahead of the state assembly polls, has not fielded its candidate in Gurdaspur.
Addressing a press conference here, Chhotepur said, “We have decided not to support any party and have left the decision over whom to vote to the conscience of people.”
“Some reports even mentioned that I am going to join the Congress and others even went to the extent of saying that I will occupy the position held by Sucha Singh Langah in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) earlier. All these reports are unfortunate and baseless,” he said.
Chhotepur, however, admitted that leaders of the Congress, SAD and even AAP called on him to seek his party’s support ahead of Gurdaspur bypoll.
“I welcomed them as I am also a political personality having a base in Gurdaspur region. There was nothing unsual about it,” he said.
He said that since the Gurdapsur bypoll has become an issue of prestige for both the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the ruling Congress in Punjab, both sides would use money and muscle power to grab this seat. “That’s why we have decided not to contest on this seat as we are a party with a difference. We don’t believe in such tactics to win the poll battle. Our politics is issue-based.”
Meanwhile, Chhotepur said the AAP is going to fare badly in the polls. “The main battle in Gurdaspur is between the Congress and the SAD-BJP. AAP’s vote share is going to drastically fall in this bypoll.”