Lok Sabha election: SAD to pitch ex-bureaucrat Guru from Fatehgarh Sahib
In a meeting with party workers and presidents of Fatehgarh Sahib urban and rural units on Saturday, SAD chief Sukhhir Singh Badal announced Guru’s name, it is learnt.
Retired IAS officer Darbara Singh Guru, who remained principal secretary to former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal from 2007 to 2011, is tippled to be the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from the Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary seat.
The constituency is reserved for scheduled caste (SC) candidates.
In a meeting with party workers and presidents of Fatehgarh Sahib urban and rural units on Saturday, SAD chief Sukhhir Singh Badal announced Guru’s name, it is learnt.
The names of ex-Lok Sabha MPs Paramjit Kaur Gulshan and Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, former MLAs Bikram Singh Khalsa and Vaninder Kaur Loomba were also discussed for the party ticket.
A formal announcement on this is expected in a week.
So far, the party has announced candidates from two constituencies — former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib and ex-Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal — of a total of 13 seats.
Earlier, Atwal had sought party ticket either for himself or his son Rinku Atwal from Fatehgarh Sahib.
“We asked for a new face with a clean image as the party is passing through a tough phase. Also, he is familiar with the working of the state official machinery and has a hold in the government set-up and it will benefit the constituency. He now keeps a flowing beard, suiting the Akali ethos,” said Swaran Singh Chanarthal, SAD’s Fatehgarh Sahib district president.
A party leader said Guru was the choice of both Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir.
Guru, who resigned from service in November 2011, joined SAD and contested as party candidate from Bhadaur in the 2012 assembly polls but lost to Congress’ Mohammad Saddique. In the 2017 assembly elections, he again contested unsuccessfully from the Bassi Pathana constituency.
Party wants Dhindsa Jr to contest from Sangrur
The Akali Dal is keen on fielding former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa from the Sangrur seat despite his father and veteran leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa having told him not to contest on party ticket.
Dhindsa last year stepped down from all SAD posts, citing health reasons, triggering a crisis in the party, culminating in the expulsion of three senior leaders — MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
