Brahmpura Jr is SAD pick for Khadoor Sahib
Thursday, 21/01/2016
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AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday declared Ravinder Brahmpura as its candidate for the Khadoor Sahib bypoll slated for February 13.
The announcement was made by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here. Brahmpura, 52, is the son of Akali stalwart Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, who is currently a Member of Parliament from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.
The Khadoor Sahib assembly seat fell vacant in November last year after sitting Congress MLA Ramanjit Sikki resigned in protest against sacrilege incidents.
In the 2012 assembly polls, debutant Sikki had crushed Ranjit Singh Brahmpura. Sikki’s reluctance to contest the bypoll has put the Congress in a fix as it is yet to find a suitable candidate.
Sukhbir took a jibe at the Congress, saying “they already seem to be running away from the election.” Though the SAD announced the name of Brahmpura on Wednesday, it was almost certain that he would be the party choice for the seat.
In all ‘sangat darshans’ held by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Khadoor Sahib constituency after Sikki’s resignation, Brahmpura was seen accompanying Badal.
During SAD’s Sadbhawna rally at Goindwal Sahib, Brahmpura was also seen sharing the stage with Akali bigwigs.
The SAD, which had not given much attention to the constituency in the past four years, was seen focusing on the segment much before the poll schedule was announced.. Badal was seen virtually camping at Khadoor Sahib and even doled out grants of more than `50 crore for development. Claiming that the Akalis will register a historic victory in the bypoll, Sukhbir said, “The SAD will contest the election on development plank. It will also be a poll plank for the ruling alliance in the 2017 assembly polls.”
“The Congress is struggling to field a suitable candidate. The party’s massive defeat is inevitable in Khadoor Sahib. It will also suffer the same fate in the ensuing assembly polls,” he added.
Later, Sukhbir left for Khadoor Sahib where he held detailed meeting
