Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya is no more the member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). But it is not clear whether he was the first one to resign from the party, or the Akali Dal made the first move to expel its sitting parliamentarian.
However, with Ghubaya finally parting ways with the SAD after more than two years of his hostility with the party, he is expected to join the Congress soon. Sources said Ghubaya may join the Congress on March 7 during party’s national president Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Moga.
Notably, Ghubaya’s son — Devinder Singh Ghubaya — is Congress MLA from Fazilka after he held the “hand” just before 2017 state assembly polls. Sitting MP Ghubaya is being considered by the Congress party for Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency considering his stronghold over the segment.
Ghubaya has already made it clear that he would contest the Lok Sabha polls but not under Sukhbir Badal’s leadership.
Two-time MP, Ghubaya hails from the Rai Sikh community which is a dominant vote bank in Ferozepur constituency. He is a two-time MP from Ferozepur parliamentary seat — first in 2009 and then in 2014. He has also been elected MLA twice from Jalalabad in 1997 and 2007, and later left the seat for Sukhbir Badal, now SAD president.
On the other hand, the old guard and senior party leaders are not in favour of fielding a “turncoat” or anyone who had opposed the party in the past as its candidate while ignoring the workers.
It has also been learnt that in case Ghubaya failed to get Congress ticket, he may join SAD (Taksali) — the Badals’ led SAD’s faction led by traditional Akali leaders and sitting MP from Khadoor Sahib Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, with former MP Ratan Singh Ajnala, former Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, among others as its members.
Ghubaya, on Monday, held a press briefing at Jalalabad to made public his resignation from the Shiromani Akali Dal while blaming the party president Sukhbir Badal’s “wrong policies” for resigning from the primary membership and all posts of the party.
In his resignation letter, Ghubaya has appealed to Sukhbir to accept his resignation.
Hours later, SAD issued a press note from its headquarters at Chandigarh saying that Sukbir has “expelled” Ghubaya from the primary membership of the party for his “anti-party activities”.
His relations with SAD had allegedly turned sour after his purported video clip appeared before the 2017 assembly elections. In December 2016, the Vigilance Bureau under previous SAD-BJP regime had raided private engineering college owned by his family over complaints of embezzlement. Ghubaya had reportedly even accused the Badal family of “humiliating” him.
Weighing all its options with caution, the Congress is in double dilemma over fielding Ghubaya. One, because of Ghubaya’s sleazy video that went viral ahead 2017 elections, and secondly, because he is yet to join the Congress while there are many other party contenders who are eyeing the ticket.
Moreover, Ghubaya had reportedly campaigned for the Akalis in the recently-held panchayat polls. Besides, he was also seen sharing stage with SAD’s rebel faction — SAD (Taksali) — and even conducted door-to-door meetings with them in the constituency.
While Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar — who was the party’s candidate in 2014 elections and is now sitting MP from Gurdaspur — has already made clear his intention of seeking re-election from Gurdaspur, the state Cabinet Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi had claimed the party ticket from Ferozepur either for himself or his son Anumit Singh ‘Hira’ Sodhi.
Sodhi, who is MLA from Guru Har Sahai constituency which is a part of Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat, was also in race for the party ticket during previous general elections, but lost to Jakhar, who was given party ticket.
Up in arms against the decision, Sodhi had revolted against the party in 2014 even indicating crossing over to SAD, while his son Anumit had given enough indications of entering the electoral field as an “independent”. But the party managed to pacify them later on.
Rana Sodhi claims a vice-like grip over around 2.5 lakh Rai Sikh community members in the constituency, which was classified under Scheduled Caste (SC) category in 2003 due to his persistent efforts during the Capt Amarinder Singh’s previous Government.