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Punjab ex-Cong MLA Sekhri in hospital hours before event to join SAD
Under pressure from Congress, ex-Batala MLA stays on for now, while SAD dismantles stage set up for his induction
Former Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri got admitted to a hospital in Amritsar late on Sunday night, hours before he was to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
The SAD had even set up the stage for his induction into the party in Chandigarh. The meet was later called off.
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Sekhri was admitted in Fortis Hospital, Amritsar, late at night, hospital spokesman Gurmeet Singh said.
A meeting and a phone call that changed his mind
It is learnt that after coming to know about Sekhri’s plan of leaving the Congress, party leader Raj Kumar Verka met him at his Ranjit Avenue residence in Amritsar to pacify him. Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also spoke to Sekhri over the phone, assuring him that his concerns will be addressed.
In a statement on Sunday, Amarinder said: “Sekhri is a dyed in the wool Congressman who has spent his whole life with the party and all rumours about his leaving the party are baseless.”
He said Sekhri denied the reports in a section of media that he was leaving the Congress to join other party. He said it is the party’s duty and responsibility to watch and safeguard the interests of all senior leaders.
Hindu face of Congress in Majha
The three-time MLA, was scheduled to join the SAD in presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday as he was feeling suffocated in the party over the alleged interference by cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa in his constituency.
Sekhri, who served on key posts in the Congress and is known as a Hindu face of the party in the Majha region, is not talking to the media yet.
He lost the 2017 assembly elections to SAD candidate Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by only 500 votes. Since then, neighbouring Fatehgarh Churian MLA Tript Bajwa increased his activities in the Batala segment.
Tript Bajwa’s interference tipping point
Bajwa managed to put his loyalists at the helm in the Batala municipal corporation, further marginalising Sekhri. In September last year, Sekhri had filed a police complaint against Tript Bajwa for ignoring Covid-19 norms.
The former minister of state also met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on June 22. He said he was called by Rahul for seeking his suggestions on the ongoing feud in the Punjab Congress. After meeting Rahul, he had questioned the role of Captain Amarinder Singh in the turmoil in the party.
A month ago, he accused Amarinder of ignoring the pleas of schools and colleges of Punjab by refusing their offer to set up Covid care centres.
