Senior leader Jhundan stakes claim for SAD’s Sangrur ticket
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and two-time MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan (62) has staked claim for the party ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency amid reports of party considering the name of former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa (50) from the prestigious seat
Chandigarh : Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and two-time MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan (62) has staked claim for the party ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency amid reports of party considering the name of former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa (50) from the prestigious seat.
Polling for the general elections in Punjab will be held in the last phase on June 1.
Parminder and his father Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa merged their party SAD (Sanyukt) into the SAD on March 6. The merger took place almost four years after Dhindsa and Parminder were expelled from the party in February 2020 for alleged anti-party activities, after which they floated the SAD (Sanyukt). Dhindsa Sr, a former union minister, who was virtually number two in the SAD as secretary general after the party’s patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, became critical of the party after its poor show in 2017 polls.
According to a party functionary, the SAD is in the process of finalising candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha segments in Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The first list of party candidates is expected to be announced next week, he said.
“I stood by the party during difficult times when Dhindsa saab and Parminder were not there,” said Jhundan, who conveyed his demand to contest from Sangrur to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal at a meeting held last week.
Sukhbir had held segment-wise meetings with party leaders to make assessment about the candidates to be fielded and issues to be raised during the poll campaign. At the meeting of Sangrur constituency Jhundan’s supporters sought his nomination from Sangrur, it is learnt.
Dhindsas have not made any demand before the party so far. The SAD (Sanyukt) contested the 2022 state assembly polls in alliance with BJP but could not win a seat.
In 2009 and 2014 Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had unsuccessfully contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Sangrur constituency. Parminder also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Sangrur but lost to chief minister Bhagwant Maan.
In Punjab 2022 assembly election, he contested as a candidate of the SAD (Sanyukt) from the Lehra assembly constituency but lost to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Barinder Kumar Goyal.
Jhundan served as member of legislative assembly in from Dhuri from 2007 to 2012 and from Amargarh from 2012 to 2017. He is also the member of the core committee of the SAD and observer of Sangrur, Barnala and Malerkotla districts. He also remained chairman of the District Planning Board and was head of the committee constituted by the SAD in 2022 to suggest course correction for the party.
Sangrur, a constituency twice represented by Bhagwant Mann before he became the CM, is tipped to witness a five-cornered contest. While the Congress, BJP and SAD are yet to declare their candidates, SAD (Amritsar) chief and sitting MP Simranjit Singh Mann has announced to re-contest the seat. The AAP has named cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer as its candidate from the segment.
Reacting to Jhundan’s demand, Parminder said: “All party leaders are free to raise demand and I will abide by party’s decision.”
Jhundan also said he would support Parminder or any other candidate fielded by the party.