The two key members of the recently floated Awaaz-e-Punjab — Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains — on Monday formally joined hands with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.
Making the announcement at a Press conference here, AAP State in-charge Sanjay Singh said Aam Aadmi Party and lok Insaaf party, floated by the Bains brothers, will contest the 2017 State polls together.
He said that the decision, which was taken in presence of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal a day before at Bathinda, was the result of several rounds of talks with the Bains brothers, and expressed confidence that his party will win more than 100 seats in the coming elections.
Under this pact, lok Insaaf Party will be given five seats from where they can nominate their candidates. The decision with regard to the announcement of the seats will be made public in few days, he said.
Singh said Simarjeet and Balwinder, MlAs from ludhiana, had raised voice against drug mafia, sand mafia and river water issue through their lok Insaaf Party.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had floated the non-political front Awaaz-e-Punjab on September 8. Besides him, the Bains brothers and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh were the party members.
The Bains brothers had claimed that the front had been in talks with both the Congress and the AAP for an alliance. When asked about Sidhu, Simarjeet said that he respected the leader like his elder brother. “I respect him (Sidhu) and will always do…Sidhu would meet the media soon to clear his stand,” he said.
When asked whether Pargat Singh would join the Congress as per reports, Simarjeet said, “I do not think he (Pargat) will go with Congress. We will try to bring him into AAP fold.”
Simarjeet also rubbished allegations that the brothers had to bargain hard with AAP for the alliance. “There was no politics and self-interest involved in this alliance. This alliance is pious. It was made in the interest of Punjab,” he said.
AAP's Punjab convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi said that the party had always been open to alliances. “There is no restriction on alliance in party's constitution. This party's (lok Insaaf Party) mission is same as ours,” he said.