Ex-army chief JJ Singh joins Sad-taksali, keen to contest
Says it was a mistake to join SAD, Badal, son befooling people
AMRITSAR: Former army chief Gen JJ Singh (retd) joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), a party of expelled leaders of the Akali Dal, here on Wednesday. Singh, who was president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ex-servicemen wing, resigned from the party in December last year citing personal reasons.
The former army chief, who also served as the Arunachal Pradesh governor, joined the SAD ahead of the 2017 Punjab assembly election and unsuccessfully contested against Captain Amarinder Singh from Patiala.
After joining the SAD (Taksali) in the presence of its president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and senior vice-president Rattan Singh Ajnala, Singh said: “It was a mistake to join the SAD. The SAD leadership, including Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, are befooling the people of Punjab in the name of Panth.”
“The SAD and the Congress are hand-in-glove. Leaders of both the parties planned for my defeat from the Patiala assembly constituency. The SAD is a commercial party, which is into hotel and transport business,” he said.
Showing his keenness to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the former army chief said: “I am ready to fight polls against the Badals and the Congress from anywhere in Punjab.”
On January 25, while interacting with newsmen in New Delhi, Singh said expressed his desire to contest from Ferozepur.
On Tuesday, former deputy speaker of the state assembly Bir Devinder Singh joined the SAD (Taksali). Welcoming JJ Singh into the party fold, Brahmpura said the army veteran’s entry will strengthen the party. “More leaders like JJ Singh are willing to join our force,” he said.
SAD (Taksali) had joined hands with the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA), a conglomerate of the breakaway groups of the Aam Aadmi Party and Akali Dal, BSP and the Lok Insaaf Party, on January 23.
NO ALLIANCE WITH AAP, SAYS BRAHMPURA
Ending speculation that the AAP might join hands with the PDA to take on the Congress and the SAD in the state, Brahmpura said: “AAP state chief Bhagwant Mann doesn’t want to forge an alliance with the PDA due to Sukhpal Singh Khaira. We wanted to make a grand alliance with the inclusion of the AAP in PDA but now it seems impossible.”