Major setback to Sidhu; Bains brothers float new party
Saturday, 29/10/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=167307&boxid=65002&uid=&dat=2016-10-29
Chandigarh : Cricketer-turned-politician-cum-television personality Navjot Singh Sidhu received a major snub for his hobnobbing with the Congress, when the co-founders of his Awaaz-e-Punjab forum, Bains brothers on Friday announced the formation of a new political outfit, Lok Insaaf Party.
The Awaaz-e-Punjab had been formed my Sidhu, who quit the BJP, Bains brothers, who had successfully contested the 2012 Assembly polls as rebel Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates and former Captain of Indian hockey team Pargat Singh, who was an SAD MLA. However, there was a recent spurt in reports about Sidhu’s parleys with the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Leaders from both the Congress and AAP, through statements, have only fueled speculations about his joining their respective parties.
According to a PTI report that announced the formation of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) said that independent MLA from Ludhiana South, Balwinder said his brother and he had applied to the Election Commission for floating a new political party three to four months back, before the formation of Awaaz-e-Punjab.
“We have formed the Lok Insaaf Party,” he said, adding that a notice has been issued seeking objections from public on the party and it is in final stages.
Simarjeet Singh Bains, MLA from Atam Nagar constituency in Ludhiana, will be the outfit’s president and brother Balwinder its chairman.
“Besides, we have a full structure of the party in place, in which we have city councilors too,” Balwinder said.
On Awaaz-e-Punjab’s future course, he said, the suspense over which way former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu-led Awaaz-e-Punjab would finally take will be over after Diwali.
The brothers have been claiming that Awaaz-e-Punjab has been in talks with both Congress and AAP for an alliance. “Sidhu never used bad words against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal,” he said.
