Sehajdharis withdraw candidates in favour of Congress
Wednesday, 11/01/2012
http://www.nriinternet.com/INDIA/States/Punjab/2012/JAN/01/index.htm
CHANDIGARH, January 12: The Sehajdhari Sikh Party today announced to withdraw all the 21 candidates it had fielded for the coming assembly elections in Punjab in favour of Congress. This was announced by the president of the party Dr Paramjit Singh Rano at a press conference here today in presence of the President Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Capt Amarinder Singh.
He said, the Sehajdhari Sikhs had been betrayed and let down by the Akalis who had promised to co-opt one of them to the SGPC. He said, instead the Akalis denied the voting rights to the Sehajdharis thus dividing the Sikh community. He said, this was a dangerous precedent and can have alarming ramifications and it must be stopped.
Speaking on the occasion, Capt Amarinder welcomed the High Court Decision scraping the government of India notification that had barred the Sehajdharis from their SGPC voting rights. He said, Congress has always supported their right to vote and it was for this reason they had reciprocated their support to the party.
