Taksalis withdraw JJ Singh from Khadoor Sahib in support of Khalra
Brahmpura says will urge Khaira-led PEP nominee Khalra to contest independently
MOHALI: Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Sunday announced to withdraw the party candidate from the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency, former army chief General JJ Singh, in support of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) nominee Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra.
Brahmpura, the sitting Khadoor Sahib MP, made the announcement at a public meeting in Mohali while canvassing for his party’s Anandpur Sahib candidate Bir Devinder Singh.
He said the decision was taken after people from all over state and other places requested them to support Khalra. “We have decided that we will support Bibi Khalra considering her contribution to the Panth and her fight for justice. Also, we do not want that our votes should split and benefit the Congress or the Akali Dal. The decision has been taken to save Punjab,” he said.
Earlier, SAD (Taksali) secretary general Sewa Singh Sekhwan and spokesperson Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad had urged Brahmpura to support Khalra, but the party chief refused.
Even Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) president Sukhpal Singh Khaira had also appealed the party to withdraw their candidate in Khalra’s support.
Khalra is contesting as a PEP candidate under the banner of PDA. “The Congress killed thousands of Sikhs in 1984 and we do not know on what basis they are seeking votes from Sikhs. Before the 2017 assembly elections, the party made several promises but failed to deliver. If voted to power, we will bring back the lost glory of the state. The Badals have looted Punjab and are responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents,” he said.
Party leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan said Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh is the biggest liar in Punjab’s history. “He promised to eradicate drugs from Punjab, but nothing has been done in the past two years. Earlier, the Badals looted the state.” Bir Devinder Singh, former SAD leader Harsukhinder Singh Bubby Badal, former SAD MLA Ujjagar Singh Badali, and former member of the SAD working committee Gursev Singh Harpalpur also spoke on the occasion.
AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) is now out of the election scene in Majha, the belt where its leading trio holds a good sway, with party’s announcement to withdraw the candidature of former army chief General JJ Singh from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat on Sunday.
The party’s three main leaders — Ranjit Singh Brahmpura (president), the sitting Khadoor Sahib MP, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former state minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan — are from the region. The trio had floated their breakaway faction after raising a banner of revolt against the leadership of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in December last year.
After they failed to get any prominent faces, except former Punjab Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh, Gen JJ Singh (retd) and Harsukhinder Singh Bubby Badal, the nephew of Akali Dal patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, into its fold, they were banking on the Khadoor Sahib seat, a traditional Panthic bastion, that falls in the belt. Also, party president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura is sitting MP from the constituency and claims to have granted a lot of money for development from his MPLAD funds during his tenure.
The party has not announced its candidate on the remaining two Lok Sabha seats in the region — Amritsar and Gurdaspur.
Brahmpura, who has served as a minister in the Parkash Singh Badal cabinet and once tagged as ‘Majhe da Jarnail’ before the rise of Bikram Singh Majithia in the party, has already announced that he will not contest election in future.
Therefore, the party decided to field Gen JJ, who quit the Akali Dal, in Brahmpura’s bastion expecting a good show in the soon-to-be-held polls.
Now, the SAD splinter group gave up fight on the seat in support of Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP)’s candidate Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra, despite Brahmpura initially being adamant on the candidature of the former army chief. Bibi Khalra is widow of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
The development comes in the wake of Brahmpura’s party colleagues Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Karnail Singh Peermohammad pressing him to withdraw JJ’s candidature in support of Khalra.
A party insider said the majority of the leaders were in favour of withdrawing the former army chief from the race even as Brahmpura was not ready for the same. “We want her (Bibi Khalra) to contest as an independent candidate, not on the ticket of Sukhpal Singh Khairaled party,” Brahmpura said. Whether they will change their decision to support Bibi Khalra if she contests from PEP, he said, “No, we will appeal her to contest independently.”
SUKHPAL KHAIRA WELCOMES MOVE
Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira welcomed the decision of the SAD (Taksali) to withdraw their Khadoor Sahib candidate in favour of his nominee Paramjit Kaur Khalra. He said their move to unilaterally withdraw the candidate would go a long way in forcing unity in the opposition ranks. “I will personally call up the SAD (Taksali) leadership to express my gratitude,” he added.