CHANDIGARH: Former Army Chief Gen JJ Singh's candidature will be withdrawn by the party in favour of Paramjit Kaur Khalra the candidate of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA). The retired general was fighting the upcoming elections from the panthic seat of Khadoor Sahib in Punjab on the ticket of Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali).
She is the candidate of PDA led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira the rebel AAP MLA and president of Punjab Ekta Party. Singh’s candidature has been withdrawn by SAD (Taksali) a newly formed party by the breakaway leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal on the pretext that the panthic votes will be divided between Khalra and Singh and she is a `winnable’ candidate.
The former army chief had fought the 2017 assembly elections from Patiala on SAD ticket but lost to Capt Amarinder Singh and in December last year he resigned from SAD.
Earlier SAD (Taksali) had said that the party will not withdraw its candidate Gen J J Singh from this seat as it had declared his candidature much before the name of Paramjit Kaur Khalsa was announced by the PDA, but today it took a U-turn and decided to withdraw his name.
Confirming that the party has decided to withdraw Gen Singh’s candidature from Khadoor Sahib seat, Sewa Singh of SAD (Taksali) said, "we taken this step as her husband Jaswant Singh Khalra had fought for the human right in the state and laid down his life and she had formed an NGO and is doing the same so we want that if she becomes MP she reached the parliament and raise her voice their for the cause. ‘’ Taking a dig at SAD, he said," we are true taksali sand not like Akali dal that is why we have withdrawn our candidate.’’
He appealed to Khaira of PDA to declare Khalra was the independent candidate so that she has no tag of any political party and she is everyone’s candidate. Also, he appealed to AAP to withdraw their candidate from this seat and support Khalra.
On question of whether Gen JJ Singh will contest from any other seat, Sekhwan said this will be decided by the party later.
Sekhwan said he will like that a third front is formed to take on the Congress and SAD-BJP alliance in the state and AAP should also be a part of that alliance besides PDA. For that Dharamvir Gandhi should be supported from Patiala, Bhagwant Mann from Sangrur, Simarjeet Bain from Ludhiana and Bir Devinder Singh from Anandpur Sahib and others should withdraw their candidates in their favour.