The first-timer in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Harvinder Singh Phoolka has a big role to play — that is of the leader of Opposition.
Known for his fight for the cause of 1984 Sikh riot victims, the renowned advocate would lead the team of 20 legislators of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the State assembly.
For the coveted post, two-time MlA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira was also in the race, who was chosen as the party’s chief whip in the Vidhan Sabha. The name of journalist-turned-politician Kanwar Sandhu, who was elected for the first time from Kharar, was also in the consideration.
The two leaders were chosen by the party’s elected MlAs who met at New Delhi on Wednesday morning in the presence of AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Even as AAP failed to form the Government in Punjab, it, however, succeeded in pushing the ruling SAD-BJP combine to poor third, securing the main opposition place for itself. The party won 20 seats in all, along with two won by its ally, lok Insaaf Party, headed by ludhiana’s Bains Brothers — Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains.
In its worst ever performance in the recallable past, the Akali Dal could won 15 seats including that of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and SAD president Sukhbir Badal, and Bikram Singh Majithia out of 94 it contested, while its coalition partner, BJP, could won mere three seats out of 23 it contested.
It would be for the first time that SAD-BJP would not be even the main opposition.
A critical voice within the AAP, 60-year-old Phoolka is Kejriwal’s confidante and advisor on all legal tangles. With his Panthic countenance, Phoolka is articulate and known to do his home-work well.
Phoolka said that the party would keep a close watch on all decisions taken by the newly-elected Congress Government in Punjab and would perform the role of a constructive and an active opposition.
51-year-old Khaira had his first stint in the assembly as a Congressman. Considered a firebrand and politically sharp, he knows what it takes to be heard in the assembly.
AAP MlA from Kotkapura Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that during the meeting with Kejriwal, party MlAs have been directed to make issue-based interventions in the assembly while cooperating with the ruling party in all its pro-people moves.
He added that a review of the reasons why AAP could not win the polls in Punjab will be done later.
“However, the party’s Punjab convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi has been asked to start taking feedback from all the winning as well as the losing candidates of what they thought were the factor that worked towards their results,” he said.