A day after former Congress MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon joined the saffron party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday laid its bet on him as its candidate for Sangrur parliamentary byelection. On the other hand, the main opposition Congress party, banking on youth power, has decided to field Dalvir Singh Goldy, former MLA who lost to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri in 2022 polls, as its candidate for June 23 elections.
Already, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bahujan Samaj Party declared Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana — a death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana’s foster sister — as their joint candidate. Also, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had announced its Sangrur district chief Gurmail Singh as its candidate. Former MP and Khalistan-supportive Sikh leader Simranjeet Singh Mann had also filed his nominations.
Both Goldy and Dhillon will be filing their nominations on the last day for filing the papers on Monday.
Dhillon, a two-time MLA from Barnala, was among five senior Congress leaders who joined BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday. In the past, Dhillon held several important positions in the Congress — serving as the senior vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
He had also unsuccessfully contested 2019 Lok Sabha election from Sangrur against Bhagwant Mann.
Former MLA from Dhuri, Goldy said: “I feel I can strongly raise the voice of the people of Sangrur for its overall development.”
Goldy, the sitting MLA from Dhuri, lost to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from the seat in February 20 Assembly polls. The Sangrur Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after sitting MP Mann’s election from Dhuri. Notably, Mann had won the Lok Sabha polls from Sangrur in 2014 and 2019.
RAJOANA’S SISTER APPEALS MANN TO SUPPORT HER
A day after being announced as SAD candidate for Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, Kamaldeep Kaur on Sunday made an appeal to SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann to support her “for the cause of Sikh prisoners”.
“He is much respected. He should support me for the cause of Sikh prisoners, because this issue is of the topmost concern for the Sikh community at this time,” said Kamaldeep, who paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Kamaldeep, the foster sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana — a death row convict in former chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, said: “I am contesting the bypoll for the cause of Sikh prisoners who are languishing in jails for decades. If I get elected to the Parliament, it will help the struggle of the Sikh Panth get the prisoners released.”
Even as the SAD is projecting Kamaldeep as a joint candidate of all Panthic bodies, SAD (Amritsar) president Mann on Saturday filed his nomination papers to contest the bypoll.
“Mann Sahib has been elected twice as an MP and his sacrifice for the community is unparalleled. But for only two years, he should give up his candidature for this daughter (Kamaldeep) for the sake of Sikh prisoners who are not being released despite completing their jail terms,” said SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtoha.
BSP TO SUPPORT SAD CANDIDATE: BENIWAL
Bahujan Samaj Party Punjab unit in-charge Randhir Singh Beniwal on Sunday said that the BSP will support Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate in the upcoming Sangrur by-poll.
“BSP high command has decided to support Shiromani Akali Dal candidate in Sangrur, Lok Sabha by-election,” said Beniwal adding that at the time of nomination of Shiromani Akali Dal candidate on June 6, BSP Punjab unit president Jasvir Singh Garhi and Sangrur BSP unit will be present.