Maluka refuses to contest from Rampura Phul
BATHINDA : Veteran Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka on Sunday refused to contest from Rampura Phul assembly segment, saying he had apprised the party leadership to field his son Gurpreet Singh from the seat. Maluka himself was vying for ticket from the Maur constituency. Gurpreet is a former Bathinda zila parishad chairperson.
Maluka, 72, a two-time legislator (1997 and 2012) and former minister in the SAD-BJP government, said, “I had conveyed to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal that Gurpreet has been politically active in Rampura for over a year. The leadership was also apprised of my categorical desire to contest from Maur assembly segment. But to my utter surprise, the leadership did not even bother to speak to me once before announcing the candidature.”
Besides Maluka’s name, SAD spokesperson Daljit Cheema on Sunday tweeted candidature of former Balluana MLA Parkash Singh Bhatti from Bathinda Rural and Darshan Singh Kotfatta from Bucho (reserved). These three seats fall in the Bathinda district.
After veteran Akali leader and former Maur MLA Janmeja Singh Sekhon was given charge of Ferozepur, Maluka was made the halqa in-charge of Maur in December last year.
Once considered close to the Badals, Maluka took a tough stance against the leadership on
Sunday. “I am firm that only Gurpreet will contest from Rampura Phul and I am ready to perform any task the party assigns. But the leadership should clarify the grounds for rejection of our claim on both adjoining seats. If they are following ‘one family, one ticket’ policy then it should be a rule for all. Maluka family that gave more than 40 years to the party should not be discriminated against,” he added.
Soon after the announcement of three tickets of Bathinda district, Maluka held a meeting with his supporters in Maur on Sunday afternoon. According to the political sources, two-time Congress MP Jagmeet Brar, who joined the SAD in 2019, is tipped to be party’s nominee from Maur. Maluka minced no words to lament the party’s probable choice for Maur seat. “After its worst-ever electoral performance in the last state elections, party’s candidates should have the backing of Akali supporters. Voters are now awakened and exercise their franchise with wisdom. Party should hire an agency or directly consult grassroots Akali activists to finalise candidate to avoid defeat in Maur,” said Maluka.