In a surprise move, former gangster-turned-politician Gurpreet Singh Sekhon on Saturday declared Gurtej Singh as the President of Mudki Nagar Panchayat after the latter was unanimously elected in the polls from Ward No. 7 in the town.
Ironically, Gurtej belongs to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and no such official declaration has been made by the party so far.
Sekhon visited Gurtej’s residence along with his supporters, where he garlanded Gurtej and other newly elected ward members and announced that Gurtej would be the President. The move caused considerable anxiety among a section of AAP leaders.
When asked about the development, Sekhon said personal relations were above party lines. He added that since Gurtej belongs to his village, he considered him the most suitable candidate for the post and therefore extended his support to him for the presidency.
In the same vein, Sekhon also praised the work of the AAP government in Punjab, saying that good work should always be appreciated, irrespective of political affiliations. He did not rule out the possibility of joining AAP in the near future, stating that remaining independent was not enough in politics and that one had to look for formal political affiliation to serve the people effectively.
“However, I will take any such decision only after consulting my friends and well-wishers, and in the larger interest of the people of my area,” Sekhon added.
Earlier on Thursday, Sekhon had shared the stage with Harpal Kaur, mother of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in Mansa, where he attended the installation ceremony of Chuspinderbir Singh Chahal, who was appointed Chairman of the Zila Parishad, Mansa. Sekhon said Chuspinderbir was an old friend and that he had attended the function in that capacity.
A few days ago, an audio clip involving local AAP leaders also went viral, in which a senior party functionary was allegedly heard saying that instructions had been received from the party high command to accommodate Sekhon’s candidates in the municipal council elections in Mudki.
Speaking to The Tribune, a senior AAP leader indicated that there was a possibility of Sekhon joining the party in the near future. However, he cautioned that “there are always many slips between the cup and the lips.”
Notably, Sekhon has emerged as a towering political figure in the region since entering politics and commands significant support among local residents.
Sekhon had earlier indicated his intention to contest the next Assembly elections from the Zira constituency. It is pertinent to note that Naresh Kataria is currently the sitting AAP MLA from the seat.
Earlier, in December last year, two women from Sekhon’s family contested the Zila Parishad elections from the Bazidpur and Ferozeshah zones and won convincingly with the support of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). At that time, there was speculation that Sekhon might eventually join SAD. However, recent developments suggest that he may be leaning towards joining AAP, which has been buoyed by its strong performance in the recently concluded municipal elections across Punjab.
