Course correction: SAD banks on old warhorses on six seats
CHANDIGARH: In a bid to counter the criticism that party president Sukhbir Singh Badal was giving the veterans a short shrift, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded the old guard from six parliamentary constituencies.
The party has announced Charanjit Singh Atwal, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Bibi Jagir Kaur — all old warhorses — from Jalandhar, Faridkot, Patiala, Ludhiana and Khadoor Sahib segments, respectively, besides sitting MP Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib.
The move is being seen as a course correction as Sukhbir wants to project that he is not opposed to the party elders.
Last year, infighting hit the party in the wake of Taksali leaders raising a banner of revolt against Sukhbir’s leadership. It started with secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa resigning from all party posts. Though he cited health reasons behind his exit initially, he later questioned Sukhbir’s leadership.
Days after, three SAD stalwarts from Majha — Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan — were expelled from the party when they also questioned Sukhbir’s style of functioning.
The trio formed a breakaway faction, SAD (Taksali), having fielded candidates in the Lok Sabha polls. “They (the five candidates) are senior and experienced leaders with a strong poll record. They were selected through consensus among the halqa in-charges and MLAs in all assembly segment. Jagir Kaur (former SGPC president) has strong panthic credentials, Ranike ji has worked hard for the scheduled castes as head of our party’s SC wing and Atwal saab is a seasoned leader,” he added.
The party moved three of them out of their strongholds – Jagir Kaur from Bholath in Doaba to Khadoor Sahib in Majha, Atwal from Fatehgarh Sahib to Jalandhar and Ranike from Attari to Faridkot. Moreover, the real test is for Ranike on the Faridkot seat as the district was the epicentre of the 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents. Of the 10 seats the party contests in alliance with BJP, the Akali Dal has announced candidates on eight with announcement for Bathinda and Ferozpur still pending.
MOVE BEING SEEN AS A BID TO COUNTER CRITICISM THAT PARTY CHIEF SUKHBIR WAS GIVING THE VETERANS A SHORT SHRIFT