Denied ticket by SAD, six-time MLA Phillaur shifts loyalty, joins Congress
Saturday, 19/11/2016
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Chandigarh : After denied ticket by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a six-time party MLA Swaran Singh Phillaur shifted his loyalty and joined the Congress along with his 16 other SAD leaders and workers, here on Friday.
Surinder Singh Ryait, senior vice president of the Trade, Transport and Industry (Cell) of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also joined hands with the Congress.
Accompanied by his son Daman Preet Singh and other joinee, Phillaur accused the Badal family for not following the basic principles of the SAD and giving back seats to the leaders belonging to Dalit communities.
The former Punjab Tourism and Jail Minister Phillaur also accused Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia of de-facto running the SAD government to unleash a state-wide mafia rule.
He expressed his disillusionment with the SAD, saying the party had changed for the worse in last 10 years. He said the party had now become Sukhbir’s and Majithia’s Akali Dal, with no place for the old guard or Dalits like him, who were being denied representation.
Phillaur alleged that ignoring the true shoulders of the SAD, especially Dalits, tickets had been given to many leaders accused or convicted in criminal cases.
“Senior Badal himself told me that Sukhbir is running the show, now when I met him on the issue,” said Phillaur.
Avinash Chander quits SAD, resigns as legislator also
Jalandhar : Upset over being overlooked, Dalit leader and two-time MLA Avinash Chander on Friday quit Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and also resigned as MLA from the party.
Chander’s resignation came barely within two-days after SAD released its first list of candidates on Wednesday. The ex-SAD MLA was the second dalit leader after Sarwan Singh Phillaur to quit SAD within two-days.
After resigning from SAD, Avinash Chander kept media at bay but it was learnt that he was likely to go back to BSP fold, from where he had shifted base to SAD a decade ago.
