Break-up with saffron, Mohan lal to fight as Independent
Chandigarh: Snapping 50-year-old ties with the saffron party, Punjab’s former Minister and senior leader Master Mohan lal on Sunday announced to contest 2017 polls as an Independent. Upset with the way a senior leader like him was treated, lal declared that he would contest February 4 polls from Pathankot against BJP nominee and sitting MlA Ashwani Sharma. lal was considered one of the honest and upright leaders of the BJP. Confirming his decision, he said that he, along with his supporters, have resigned from the party which he served for 50 years. “I served the party with devotion and even suffered many a times for the sake of the party…I have been continuously ignored for the last six years. I have given blood for the party but today, the leaders ask ‘Who is this Master Mohan lalIJ” he said.
The party has preferred fielding Ashwani Sharma from Pathankot in 2012 polls replacing lal, who was sitting MlA and had also served as the state transport minister.
To placate former minister ahead 2012 elections, the party appointed lal as poll-campaigning in-charge for three districts of Pathankot, Gurdarspur, and Hoshiarpur giving him the responsibility of overseeing campaigning and other election related activities.
lal said that he has made up his mind to contest the election independently and file his nomination papers soon.
AAP DEClARES ex-AKAlI’S CANDIDATURE FOR AMRITSAR
Chandigarh: AAP on Sunday fielded former Akali leader Upkar Singh Sandhu as its candidate for February 4 Amritsar lok Sabha bypoll. 63-year-old Sandhu is SAD’s former Amritsar district president. Sandhu, Punjab Energy Development Agency’s former chairman, had resigned from SAD in protest against the sacrilege incidents in the state and alleged failure of the State Government in nabbing the culprits behind these incidents. BJP has fielded Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina while Congress has given ticket to Gurjit Singh Aujla for by-election to Amritsar lok Sabha seat, scheduled for February 4, along with assembly polls in the State. Bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh from Amritsar lok Sabha seat on November 23, 2016, in protest against the “injustice” meted out to the people of Punjab following the November 10 Supreme Court verdict on the Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal water-sharing agreement, which he and other state Congress leaders have been opposing.
SAD EXPElS lUDHIANA party PRESIDENT
ludhiana: SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Sunday expelled ludhiana Urban unit president and Punjab Trade Board vice-chairman Madan lal Bagga from the primary membership of the party for contesting against the SAD-BJP candidate. Bagga expressed no surprise rather welcomed the decision. “I had already resigned from the party on Saturday and announced the same at the news conference,” he said. Once known as Sukhbir’s close aide, their relationship strained over Bagga’s bid for the party ticket. He has since announced to contest as an Independent candidate from ludhiana North. His departure from SAD is considered to be a big setback for the party in ludhiana as he good rapport among the traders section.
JOlT TO SAD, SENIOR PATIAlA lEADER JOINS CONG
Patiala: The ruling SAD on Sunday suffered another jolt with a senior party leader from Patiala joining the Congress. SAD leader Gian Chand Chano joined Congress along with Surinder Arora, a close relative of senior Akali leader Bhagwan Dass Juneja, and more than three dozen of their supporters. They were welcomed into the party fold by Patiala MlA Preneet Kaur at Moti Bagh Palace. Preneet said that the days of SAD were numbered and there was a strong wave in favour of the Congress in Punjab. Gian Chand Chano was the vice president of SAD’s Patiala unit Beopar Cell, while Surinder Arora is a close relative of Bhagwan Dass Juneja, who had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election against Captain Amarinder Singh from Patiala. Both the leaders have pledged their unconditional support to Congress.
HARSIMRAT DARES AAP, CONG TO FORGE PRE-POll AllIANCE
Chandigarh: SAD MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday dared AAP and Congress to forge a pre-poll alliance for the present assembly polls instead of working on a secret seat sharing arrangement. “The unholy nexus between the two post poll partners of Delhi has already been exposed before the people of the state,” said Harsimrat. She said that the open rebellion by the Congress cadre in the state has unfolded their plan of fielding weak candidates against each other. “Congress had put up weak candidates against AAP as per their desire and AAP has reciprocated the same. This arrangement is put up in place so that both parties could forge post poll alliance in the state to form the next government,” she said.
Bathinda MP reminded Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh that not a single incident has occurred in the state from 2007 to 2014 but after the emergence of AAP, now Congress’ secret partner, in state in 2014 post UPA era, state was hit by a series of incidents including desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other religious epics, besides launch of other violent agitations.
“What Congress did in 1984 in Delhi and other parts of nation, this rookie party wants to replay the same in Punjab,” she said.
She urged the state Congress chief to desist from having a secret understanding with those who are least cared for welfare of Punjab and hell bent on destroying the very social fabric of the state with the sole aim to derive political mileage out of it.
SEKHRI’S BROTHER IS APP CANDIDATE
Chandigarh: Congress sitting MlA from Batala Ashwani Sekhri is all set to face his brother Inder Sekhri in February 4 polls as the Apna Punjab Party (APP) led by Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Sunday announced his candidature. Chhotepur, AAP’s Punjab unit’s former convener, announced the fifth list of 14 candidates for the Punjab Assembly election, taking the total number of candidates announced so far to 88.
Inder Sekhri had earlier opposed his brother Ashwani’s nomination from Batala and subsequently joined APP.
Chhotepur said: “We have fielded the candidates who cannot be questioned about their credentials. Our candidates, along with the volunteers, are the backbone of APP and are set to play long innings.”
He said that the party was trying to rope in “good candidates” for the remaining seats and has plans to announce another list on January 17. The candidates announced today include Jagtar Singh from Dirba, Kulwant Singh from Dakha, Narinder from ludhiana Central, Jaswant Singh from Sardulgarh, Gurdatt Singh from Balluana, Baldev Singh from Abohar, Inder Sekhri from Batala, Man Mandar Singh from lambi, Sawinder Singh from Rampura Phul, Kulwant Singh from Qadian, Robert Massih from Ajnala, Purshottam Giri from Sanaur, Bakhshish Singh from Jalalabad and Aksh Inder Singh from Patiala.