E-Paper
Selection of candidate: Problems galore for SAD in Bathinda (rural) segment
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is facing problems in Bathinda (rural) assembly segment where the party either seems to have been gripped by factionalism or is not finding a suitable face to field as a candidate for the 2017 assembly polls.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is facing problems in Bathinda (rural) assembly segment where the party either seems to have been gripped by factionalism or is not finding a suitable face to field as a candidate for the 2017 assembly polls.
Perhaps, that is the reason that less than three months before the Punjab assembly polls, the SAD has appointed a new halqa in-charge in the segment removing the senior party leader and former member of Parliament Paramjit Kaur Gulshan from the position.
The problems the SAD is facing in the segment, which forced the party to change the constituency in-charge, can be gauged from the fact that newly appointed halqa in-charge Gurbinder Singh Banwala cannot contest the polls because the assembly segment is reserved for candidates from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, while Banwala is from the general category. Generally, the SAD fields halqa in-charge as candidate in an assembly segment.
Having been appointed in-charge of the constituency two days ago, Banwala held a meeting with party workers from the segment here on Saturday. Mentioning the differences among leaders, he said that there always remained some differences among members of a family and we will resolve them.
He said that whoever will be fielded as a candidate from the segment, party workers must work for him sincerely to ensure the party’s win.
He said that he has been made in-charge to take the campaign about the development works done by the Punjab government in the segment to the masses.
In an indication that Gulshan would contest from Bathinda (rural) segment as a SAD candidate, the party had appointed her as halqa in-charge in May 2015. Since then she has been working in the segment.
The sitting SAD MLA of the segment, Darshan Singh Kotfatta, was appointed in-charge of the Bhucho assembly segment that is also reserved for candidates from the SC community in a signal that he will be contesting from Bhucho instead of Bathinda (rural).
The SAD is yet to announce candidates from Bhucho and Bathinda (rural). Both Kotfatta and Gulshan couldn’t be reached for their comments on the development.
