Four Bathinda Akali councillors quit party, ex-state Congress secy joins Akali Dal

BATHINDA:AS many as four Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillors of the Bathinda municipal corporation (MC) resigned from the party on Saturday alleging that hired workers were running the party affairs in the city.

Some party office-bearers of the city also resigned.

The councilors — Harmander Singh, Rajinder Singh Sidhu, Nirmal Singh and Baljit Singh — were considered key SAD men in the city

Harmandar and Nirmal are members of the MC’S finance and contracts committee while Rajinder Sidhu was the main complainant against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a case of alleged blasphemy against the sect head.

“The elected representatives and old Akali workers have no say in the party affairs, claiming that the party has deviated from its principles,” Harmandar said.

Also, in a jolt to the Congress, a close aide of former minister Harminder Singh Jassi and former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Iqbal Singh Babli Dhillon along with party councillor Sherry Goyal and his supporters joined SAD in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Babli Dhillon, who had resigned from SAD in August last year after he was issued a show-cause notice for indulging in anti-party activities in the city, held a show of strength.

Babli Dhillon joining SAD is considered the major reason behind the four Akali councillors’ decision to quit the party. They said they will consult their supporters for their future course of action.

Sukhbir tried to downplay the SAD councillors’ move saying it wouldn’t harm party and accepted the resignation.

Even as most of the SAD speakers stressed on ensuring victory of Harsimrat Kaur Badal in parliament elections from Bathinda segment, Badal reiterated that decision about the SAD’S Lok Sabha election candidates will be taken by the party’s core committee.