Bogged down after removal of its Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and its aftermaths, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday received a shot in the arm with the legendary Akali leader and Panth Ratan late Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s family deciding to take up ‘broom’ by leaving ‘scale’.

The family members of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee’s former president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, including his daughter Kuldeep Tohra, son-in-law Harmail Singh, their son Harinderpal Singh along with several of their supporters, joined AAP “unconditionally” in the presence of Punjab’s party affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and senior leaders Bhagwant Mann and Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi.

The decision of Harmail, who has served Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for 25 years and also remained a former minister, came days after he accused Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal of rejecting Tohras the party ticket for 2017 polls for not having enough money.

He was reportedly miffed after the SAD cut his wife Kuldeep Kaur’s ticket from Patiala rural seat, where SAD president has handpicked Youth Akali Dal leader Satbir Singh Khatra.

“I am inspired by the policies and programmes of AAP, and confident that the party will provide neat and clean governance in Punjab,” said Harmail after joining the party.

“I am pained that the Akali Dal has decided to give the party ticket from Patiala rural to a person who is not even a primary member of the party,” he said.

Rejecting suggestions that he was an aspirant for the AAP ticket, he said: “The decision on party ticket will be taken by the AAP leadership.”

“Our family always contributed for rise of the Sikhism and Punjab and late Jathedear Tohra spent his entire life to serve SAD, but worst began after taking over the command of SAD by Sukhbir Badal, who started ignoring the Taksali Akalis to run the party as private limited company,” said Harmail Singh.

Harmail said that his family always contributed a lot in all morchas laid by Akalis and even lodged in jail while doing so. “Jathedar Tohra remained as head of the highest body of Sikhs, the SGPC, for continuous 27 years and for 26 years, he remained Member of Parliament (MP), but due to the anti-Sikhs and anti-Punjab policies of Sukhbir Badal led SAD, the family is forced to leave the party to join AAP, which has come with a ray of hope for Punjabis and Punjab,” he said.

“There is no place for honest and dedicated politicians in SAD and many other Taksali Akalis are feeling suffocated in Sukhbir’s Akali Dal”, said Tohra family members.