Dhindsas, Badals to battle it out on the ground
SAD PLANS 15 RALLIES TO MOBILISE WORKERS; DHINDSAS REACHING OUT TO ALL THOSE NURSING ANTI-BADALS SENTIMENT, BESIDES A RALLY IN SANGRUR ON FEBRUARY 23
CHANDIGARH :A day after veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and his MLA son Parminder Singh were expelled from the party, the two have their work cut out to pin down Badals with the help of like-minded forces.
The Sukhbir Badal-led Akali Dal, on the other hand, is going ahead with a series of rallies across the state to galvanise workers, besides filling all vacant posts at circle and district levels to accommodate more workers.
Dhindsa Senior will meet disgruntled, fence sitters and rebel leaders to stitch an anti-Badals group, while his son is meeting people of Sangrur and Barnala to keep the family’s support base intact. On Tuesday, Dhindsa Sr reached Delhi to attend the Parliament session and is expected to meet home minister Amit Shah and Delhi in-charge Shyam Jaju in near future. Though Dhindsas are not actively campaigning in Delhi polls, Sukhdev’s plan to meet the brass of SAD’s ally (BJP) has generated much curiosity.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal met district presidents, MLAs and halqa in-charges (renamed as sewadars) to convey to them the reasons and circumstances leading to Dhindsas’ expulsion from the party. In an effort to consolidate his position and keep the flock together, Sukhbir announced to lead 15 district-level rallies between February 13 and April 11. The party also announced to appoint all circle and district-level officebearers in the near future.
There are nearly 600 circles and 22 district units of the party in which about 6,000 workers get positions. There is one circle after every 25,000 voters.
The party will hold a series of rallies to highlight Capt government’s ’false promises’, starting from Amritsar on February 13, Ferozepur (Feb 25), Bathinda (Feb 29), Tarn Taran (March 4), Mansa (Mar 7), Anandpur Sahib (Hola Mohalla on Mar 9), Fazilka (Mar 10), Hoshiarpur (Mar 14), Ludhiana (Mar 15), Kapurthala (Mar 18), Fatehgarh Sahib (Mar 21), Nawanshahr (Mar 23), Pathankot (Mar 28), Jalandhar (Mar 29), Gurdaspur (April 4) and Mohali (April 11).
“Party workers get mobilised during such events,” said party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema.
As a show of strength, Dhindsas are planning a rally in Sangrur on February 23, and in other parts of the state later. “Our rally will be for Akali workers and supporters from Sangrur and Barnala districts unlike the Badals’ rally two days ago which had people from all over the state,” said Dhindsa Senior.
On Tuesday, he met former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK, who too was expelled from the party. “Dhindsa Saab took from me a report of my JAGO party’s activities in Delhi, and discussed further plans. We will roll out activities of our party once Delhi state polls are over and Dhindsa Saab will be on the forefront,” said GK. Dhindsa also invited GK to attend the February 23 rally in Sangrur. “Now, since I have been shunted out of the party which I never wanted to leave, I will meet all like-minded people; be it Taksalis, Navjot Sidhu, Bains brothers... all others in and outside Akali Dal who feel for Punjab and want to free the party and the SGPC from the control of Badals,” Dhindsa senior added.
DHINDSA JR TERMS MOVE DICTATORIAL
SANGRUR: Parminder Singh Dhindsa termed his expulsion from SAD a dictatorial decision of Sukhbir Singh Badal. On Tuesday, he held a meeting with his supporters at his house in Sangrur, briefing them about the rally on February 23.
“We were expelled without any notice which shows dictatorial attitude of SAD. It is undemocratic,” said Parminder. “Our workers suggested to hold the rally at same venue where Badals did a couple of days back. Our rally will have workers only from Sangrur,” he added.