In a jolt to the Congress in the Majha region of Punjab, Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa’s younger brother Rajan Gill joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of its president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Amritsar on Wednesday.
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After the Congress denied the Gill family the ticket from Khadoor Sahib assembly segment, Rajan and Dimpa’s son Gursant Updesh Singh Gill filed their nominations as Congress candidates even as the party had fielded two-time MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki from this Panthic seat. The papers of both Rajan Gill and Dimpa’s son were rejected by the Election Commission.
The Gill family is associated with the Congress for decades and Dimpa’s father, Sant Singh Lidhar, who was assassinated by militants in 1986, has been the Beas MLA twice. Though Dimpa stayed away from the press conference during which Rajan along with supporters of the Gill family, joined the SAD, his name was specifically mentioned by the SAD leaders, including Amritsar East candidate Bikram Singh Majithia.
Dimpa has also been the MLA from the erstwhile Beas segment. At present, the Gill family has influence in Baba Bakala, Khadoor Sahib and Jandiala Guru assembly segments. Rajan organised a meeting of his supporters from these segments.
{{/usCountry}}Dimpa has also been the MLA from the erstwhile Beas segment. At present, the Gill family has influence in Baba Bakala, Khadoor Sahib and Jandiala Guru assembly segments. Rajan organised a meeting of his supporters from these segments.
{{/usCountry}}Replying to a query on Dimpa’s stand, Rajan said, “All I know is that we are united. If I am sitting here with SAD leaders, it is with the consent of my family.”
Tsunami in favour of SAD: Sukhbir
Welcoming Rajan and Congress workers supporting him into the SAD fold by presenting them ‘siropas (robes of honour)’, Sukhbir said: “Dimpa’s family was the face of the Congress in Majha. Four generations of the family remained with the Congress. With it joining the SAD now, the Congress has been uprooted from Majha. This is a tsunami in favour of the SAD.”
Dimpa had been lobbying for the Congress ticket for his son Gursant from Khadoor Sahib from where the SAD has already fielded its stalwart and former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura. Dimpa along with his son had been campaigning in the segment for the past few months.
Dimpa stayed away from Rahul Gandhi’s visit
Dimpa had also sought the Congress ticket from his home turf, Baba Bakala, for his aide Satinderjit Singh Chajjalwadi. However, the party announced the ticket for Dimpa’s rival, Santokh Singh Bhalaipur, from the constituency. Upset, Chajjalwadi joined the SAD in the presence of Sukhbir Singh Badal in Amritsar on January 27.
A day after Chajjalwadi’s joining, Dimpa levelled allegations of corruption in ticket distribution against his own party. “What should be done if your party ignores hard work, loyalty and honesty and prefers stacks?” he had tweeted. He also skipped the visit of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to Amritsar the next day.