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Akali Dal bids ‘good riddance’ as Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya resigns from party
There are speculations that he will join the Congress at Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Moga on March 7
The two-time sitting Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Ferozepur, Sher Singh Ghubaya, resigned from the primary membership of the party on Monday even as the party expelled him for “anti-party activities”.
There is strong possibility that Ghubaya will join the Congress amid reports of his meeting with party chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday. In a single-line resignation, Ghubaya cited the “wrong policies of party president” as the reason behind his resignation.
Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said, “Ghubaya’s resignation makes no sense as he has already been expelled for anti-party activities. The party consciously expelled him after the Lok Sabha session was over.”
Ghubaya said: “It was me who sacrificed my Jalalabad seat to ensure entry of Sukhbir Singh Badal to the state assembly in 2009. But it proved suicidal as after winning the seat, Sukhbir sidelined me.” He had represented Jalalabad seat, now being represented by Sukhbir Badal, twice in 1997 and 2007.
“I ensured introduction of Fazilka-Chandigarh train which was strongly opposed by Sukhbir Badal as it didn’t suit his business interests. I also got set up a passport office at Ferozepur,” Ghubaya said.
His relations with Akali Dal turned sour after his purported steamy video clip appeared before the 2017 assembly elections. In December 2016, the vigilance bureau under previous the SAD-BJP regime had raided private engineering college owned by his family over complaints of embezzlement.
“I have not yet decided to join any party but since my son is a Congress MLA, I will lap up any good offer from the party,” replied Ghubaya when asked on speculations of his joining the Congress during AICC chief Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Moga on March 7.
“Ghubaya is scheduled to meet Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday,” said a senior party leader, pleading anonymity.
Ghubaya had defeated Congress heavyweight Sunil Jakhar from the Ferozepur seat in 2014. He comes from the Rai Sikh community that holds a sway over not just Fazilka, Jalalabad and Guru Har Sahai assembly segments of Ferozepur parliamentary seat but also Jagraon, Ajnala and a few other areas. In the 2009 lok Sabha polls, he had defeated then Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar.
In the 2017 state polls, his son Davinder joined the Congress and became an MLA from Fazilka. “Ghubaya himself wanted to go down as a martyr and kept waiting for his expulsion all these years,” sources close to the MP said.
