With just three days left for nomination, SAD still mum on candidate

With SAD yet to decide on a candidate, the contest currently is directly between Congress’ Manish Tewari and BJP’s Sanjay Tandon

Even as the last day to file nominations is only three days away, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has yet to come up with a candidate for Chandigarh, stirring whispers whether the party will even contest the elections from the Union territory.

The SAD candidate, Hardeep Singh Saini, had left the party on May 6 and joined the AAP three days later. (HT Photo)

With SAD yet to decide on a candidate, the contest currently is directly between Congress’ Manish Tewari and BJP’s Sanjay Tandon.

Though the Akali Dal had nominated its Chandigarh unit president Hardeep Singh Saini from the Chandigarh seat, he had quit the party on May 6, citing lack of funds and support from the party leadership for the elections.

Three days later, Saini, a former senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), dealing a significant blow to the panthic party and boosting the campaign of INDIA bloc candidate Manish Tewari.

As he was the lone SAD councillor in Chandigarh, his switch to the AAP will also bump up the party’s strength in the 35-member MC House from 12 to 13. The BJP has 15 councillors and the Congress seven.

But still, there has no been no word from SAD about its replacement candidate from Chandigarh.

Sources in the party said SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal may not be keen on contesting from the city.

But at a meeting on Saturday, held under the leadership of Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, general secretary of SAD’s Chandigarh unit, senior party leaders said the Akali Dal should contest the elections from Chandigarh to strengthen Punjab’s right on its capital.

Harjit Singh Bhullar, a contender for the ticket, was part of the meeting said. “Though the party president is reluctant to contest elections from Chandigarh, all other leaders want SAD to be in the race. Our supporters are confused about whom to vote for if the SAD does not fight the election,” he said .

Party’s vice-president and spokesperson, Bhullar, who was previously with the BJP, had joined SAD amid the farmers’ agitation.

This was the first time that SAD had fielded a candidate from Chandigarh for Lok Sabha as until now, the party had been supporting candidates of the BJP, with which it had an alliance since 1996. The two parties had snapped ties in 2021 following differences over the now-scrapped three farm laws.

Sanjay Tandon had filed his nomination on May 10, while Manish Tewari will be filing his poll papers on May 14.