Jagbir Brar’s move to rejoin SAD creates political storm
Wednesday, 24/08/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=163485&boxid=58887&uid=&dat=2016-08-24
Jalandhar : The reports of congress leader Jagbir Singh Brar’s likely move to re-join SAD on Tuesday led to a ‘political storm’ in the Punjab politics with both congress and the SAD leadership keeping a vigilant eye on further move.
While Brar strongly denied the development, an alarmed top congress leadership ensured that he issued contradictory statement on the matter. Currently, Jagbir Brar was the Jalandhar (Rural) Congress president and seeking a ticket from Jalandhar Cantonment assembly seat, where he has been working for the last five years.
Initially Brar evaded media queries on the issue, however later in the day he blamed a section of congress leadership for tarnishing his image and planting such rumours. However, he did not name any congress leader. Daily Post had in these columns highlighted that ‘Congress leader Jagbir Singh Brar was likely to join SAD’ on Tuesday. Brar has been seeking a ticket from Jalandhar Cantonment seat for the ensuing 2017 assembly elections.
It was learnt that a meeting of top congress leadership was held at Chandigarh on Tuesday, where senior leader Ambika Soni asked the party workers to abstain from raising the issue in the media, as it would damage the party’s prospects at this juncture. “The party leaders were of the view that such a development should be checked thoroughly but till then, abstain from raising it in the media”, sources added.
Earlier on Monday, sources had revealed that Brar met top SAD leadership for his possible homecoming to SAD fold a few days ago. It was also learnt that the SAD was conducting a survey of Brar, if in case he was given a ticket from Jalandhar Cantonment seat.
Even some Akali leaders also admitted that after Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh was suspended from the party, the SAD leadership was concerned over fielding a strong candidate from the cantt assembly seat. “Almost every leader within the SAD was also eyeing the Jalandhar Cantonment seat, as the Akalis won twice with a thumping majority from here”, said a SAD leader.
