Ex-army chief guns for Capt after his dare to Sidhu

General JJ Singh (retd), the Patiala SAD candidate in 2017 who forfeited his security deposit, says he lost as the election was a fixed match between the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress

Joining the turf war between chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, former army chief General JJ Singh (retd) on Wednesday said that he lost the Patiala assembly seat as a Shiromani Akali Dal candidate in 2017 as the election was fixed between the SAD and the Congress.

General JJ Singh (retd) contested the Punjab assembly elections as the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Patiala in 2017. (HT file photo)

General Singh’s remarks came a day after Captain Amarinder Singh dared Sidhu to contest against him from Patiala, saying he would meet a fate similar as General JJ Singh’s who forfeited his security deposit.

“It’s an open secret that in 2017, the elections in Lambi and Patiala were fixed. Don’t forget that once you (Capt Amarinder Singh) had also lost your security deposit from Patiala,” General Singh said.

“Everyone in Punjab is aware that you are hand in glove with the Badals. Under a plan, the Badals helped you in the 2017 assembly elections, and now you are helping them in the sacrilege cases,” the former Akali candidate said.

General Singh had had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib as the SAD (Taksali) candidate. He had attacked the SAD leadership for fixing the match with Captain Amarinder Singh after the 2017 elections.