As the political temperature is rising in the region, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has told party workers to gear up Assembly elections by November. Sukhbir said that Census exercise is likely to take place from the beginning of next year. So the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would try hold to elections soon after completion of Special Intensive Review (SIR).
He said that while inducting 31 out of the 51 Independent candidates, who were elected as councillors in the recent civic polls and have extended support to SAD. The remaining 20 councillors will be admitted to the party shortly.
While reflecting on the recently concluded civic body polls, Sukhbir Badal said, “It was a government-sponsored booth-capturing exercise as out of the 1,977 wards, SAD fought on 1,251 seats. At 726, the party could not contest as the documents of the candidates were rejected.”
The SAD president said the repression let loose by the AAP government, including the arrest of party district president Satish Grover in Faridkot, as well as action against Akali workers in Majitha had created public angst against the AAP government.
He gave the example of how a SAD candidate in Zirakpur — despite being shown to have got the highest votes in the certificate by the Returning Officer — was shown to have been defeated by the AAP candidate. He also cited similar examples in Malout, Muktsar and Kot Fatta.
