Chandigarh, Jan 26 (PTI) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday announced the candidature of senior party leader Bikram Singh Majithia from a second seat Amritsar East against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying “the political life of the former cricketer is coming to an end.” Sukhbir Badal also announced the candidature of his 94-year-old father and five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi assembly seat from where the SAD patriarch is the sitting legislator.
Badal will be the oldest candidate in the fray for the February 20 Punjab assembly elections.
Majithia whose candidature had already been announced from the Majitha assembly segment would fight from both the seats.
“Navjot Sidhu, be ready,” Badal told the Punjab Congress chief adding, “Majithia will fight against Navjot Sidhu from the Amritsar East seat”.
Badal said his party’s Amritsar leadership and workers told him that Sidhu’s “arrogance” has to be shattered.
“Our warrior (Majithia) will fight from the Amritsar East seat,” he said.
Navjot Sidhu, who is the sitting legislator from Amritsar East, will contest from the same seat.
The SAD supremo made the twin announcements while talking to reporters in Amritsar.
Booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act last month, Majithia has been trying to secure an anticipatory bail from courts.
Majithia was denied the relief by the Punjab and Haryana High court early this week but was given three-day protection from the arrest to move the Supreme Court, challenging the high court order to seek the reprieve.
Sukhbir Badal said the rival political parties are targeting Majithia as he raises the voice of the people.
He also accused the Charanjit Singh Channi government, especially Navjot Sidhu of getting a false case registered against Majithia.
“You (Sidhu) used to make false allegations and now the people of Punjab and people of your constituency will dispense justice,” said Badal.
Targeting Sidhu for allegedly “doing nothing” for the Amritsar East constituency, Badal said the cricketer-turned-politician has been harping on his Punjab Model but had completely neglected his own constituency.
“A leader who does not go to his constituency and does not meet workers talks about the Punjab model!” the SAD chief exclaimed on Sidhu’s alleged negligence of his constituency.
“His (Sidhu) political life is coming to an end and it is going to be his last election,” Badal asserted.
On the Lambi seat, Badal said the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal will fight from there.
“Badal saab fought for Punjab and the community throughout his life. He told me that he will not retire (from politics),” he said.
The party also pleaded with Parkash Singh Badal not to retire from politics and so he has acceded to the request to contest the forthcoming elections from Lambi, the SAD chief said.
“Badal Sahab has always been in the forefront to offer his services for the welfare of Punjab and Punjabis and he is doing so again,” he added.
Badal has been winning from the Lambi assembly seat since 1997.
With the announcement of candidates on the two seats, the SAD has now declared candidates for all 97 seats on which it is going to contest the February 20 state assembly polls.
The party, meanwhile, also announced the candidature of Satinder Singh Chajjwalwadi from the Jandiala seat, replacing Malkit Singh who has expressed inability to fight polls on health grounds.
The SAD has tied up with the BSP for the coming elections.
According to the seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties, the BSP will field candidates in 20 of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab, while the rest will be contested by the Shiromani Akali Dal. PTI CHS VSD RAX RAX
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Source: The Print
