In the season of splitting away and rebellion in Punjab’s political parties just before the election time, the newborn political outfits are batting for a maha-gathbandhan (grand alliance) against the traditional opposition parties — the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Pressing the same, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) on Monday stressed that all such like minded parties, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and newly-constituted Punjabi Ekta Party of Sukhpal Khaira, should “fight under one umbrella”. The idea fully endorsed by the former AAP leader and head of a regional outfit Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
“SAD (Taksali) would support all the like-minded candidates and parties during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We are with all those parties who are like-minded and share similar ideology as ours. All such parties will fight under one umbrella,” said SAD (Taksali) president and Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Monday.
Brahmpura, who was addressing media after All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad joined hands with SAD (Taksali), maintained that his party would contest the polls against the mainstream parties like the Congress, and Akali Dal.
He maintained that he was in talk with the Punjabi Ekta Party leader Sukhpal Khaira, “and once the consensus is formed, details in this regard would be shared”.
“I had suggested both AAP and Khaira group to contest elections jointly, and even (Bhagwant) Mann and Khaira too agreed on this suggestion,” he added.
Breaking way from the Badals led SAD, Brahmpura claimed that his party was also in touch with the SAD’s Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who had also raised a banner of revolt against the Akali Dal, and resigned from all party posts.
If that was not enough, Brahmpura did not rule out possibility of joining hands with the saffron brigade, “only if it break ties with Akali Dal”.
He claimed that BJP would soon break away from the SAD. “But so far, we have not contacted them, and we will not till the BJP ends its alliance with the SAD,” he declared, while categorically refusing to return to SAD even if Sukhbir Badal was removed as its president.
At the same time, AAP’s Punjab unit’s former convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who is also heading a regional outfit, Apna Punjab Party, also supported the coming up of a “joint” third front contending that the divided opposition would give advantage to traditional political parties.
“It we contest as different political parties, the votes against SAD and Congress would be divided with the chances that the security deposits of many candidates would be confiscated,” said Chhotepur.
AISSF HEAD JOINS TAKSALIS
All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad on Monday joined hands with SAD (Taksali), recently formed after breaking away from SAD.
Karnail resigned from the post of president from AISSF and has joined SAD (Taksali) along with some of his followers.
SAD (Taksali) president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura also said that his party would support HS Phoolka in his cause to get Sikh body SGPC free from political influence of SAD.
Brahmpura, addressing a press conference, said: “All India Gurudwara Act has not been constituted in Punjab due to the policies of former Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal”.
“There should be an All India Gurudwara Act to control all gurudwaras in the state,” he said.
At the same time, he maintained that they are in for Anandpur Sahib resolution, which advocates the real federal system of governance”.