AAP to contest Dhuri bypoll
Tuesday, 03/02/2015
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/politics/aap-to-contest-dhuri-bypoll/37260.html
Chandigarh : The Aam Adami Party (AAP) will contest the Dhuri byelection. The seat fell vacant after Congress’ Arvind Khanna resigned as MLA.
The AAP Member of Parliament from Sangrur, Bhagwant Mann, claimed that the people would punish the Congress as well as the ruling SAD-BJP alliance that had forced the byelection on the residents of the Dhuri constituency.
Earlier, byelections were held in Moga and Talwandi Sabo after the resignation of Congress MLAs who joined the SAD. “They are deceiving the people. Politicians are making a mockery of democracy and people’s mandate”, the MP said.
Bhagwant, who had a lead of about 33,800 votes in the Dhuri segment during the Lok Sabha elections, said the Congress should act against Khanna for “ditching” Dhuri voters.
The SAD is likely to field Gobind Singh Longowal, a former MLA, or Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s daughter-in-law for the Dhuri bypoll.
Bhagwant said the system of holding byelections should be done away with. “If the elected MLA resigns or dies, the candidate on the second position during the Assembly elections should be administered oath as MLA,” he said.
He said if a Rajya Sabha member was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections, he or she should be made to vacate the Rajya Sabha seat and should not be allowed to hold public office.
He said the Election Commission should take action against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for holding Sangat Darshan functions in the Dhuri constituency after the resignation of the sitting MLA.
