Sangrur LS bypoll: Rajoana’s sister urges Simranjit Mann to support her

SAD is projecting death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep as a joint candidate of Panthic bodies, but SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Mann has filed his nomination papers

A day after being announced as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate for the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, Kamaldeep Kaur, 46, on Sunday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

A day after being announced as the SAD candidate for the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, Kamaldeep Kaur on Sunday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

Kamaldeep, who is the foster sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in former chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, was accompanied by SAD leaders Virsa Singh Valtoha, Gulzar Singh Ranike and Karnail Singh Peermohammad.

Interacting with the media, Kamaldeep 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 Simranjit Singh Mann on Saturday filed his nomination papers to contest the bypoll.

Making an appeal to Mann, Kamaldeep said: “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.”

SAD spokesperson Valtoha said: “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.”

On Friday night, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had met Mann, 77, in Sangrur to seek his support for a joint candidate from among families of Sikh prisoners. However, he decided to go his own way. After filing his papers, he had said: “They (SAD leaders) had come to mock me and asked me step back. First, Sukhbir should appoint a family member of a Sikh prisoner as the chief of his party and president of the SGPC.”