Jalandhar West bypoll: Hours after joining AAP, Surjit Kaur does a U-turn; back to Akali fold
Surjit Kaur, during the day, was inducted into the AAP fold by chief minister Bhagwant Mann but later backtracked on her decision after being ‘counselled’ by the leaders of the SAD rebel group led by former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur and former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala
Hours after joining Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in presence of CM Bhagwant Mann, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate for the Jalandhar West assembly byelection, Surjit Kaur, on Tuesday evening did a U-turn and said she will contest on party symbol.
Surjit, during the day, was inducted into the AAP fold by chief minister Bhagwant Mann but later backtracked on her decision after being ‘counselled’ by the leaders of the SAD rebel group led by former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur and former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala.
Both Jagir and Wadala, who had extended their support to Surjit after Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal withdrew support to her on June 26, held a detailed meeting with Surjit and her family members late on Tuesday evening.
“I am a novice in politics. The AAP leaders approached me and asked me to meet the Punjab CM. There, AAP leaders persuaded me to join the party. I didn’t consult my family members and SAD leaders who supported me when the Akali Dal discredited me,” Surjit said in a press conference adding that the decision to come back to Akali Dal and contest on party symbol was taken after a detailed discussion with her family members and leaders supporting her.
“I will now contest on the SAD symbol allocated to me,” she added.
Earlier in the day, Surjit had addressed a joint press conference with cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and AAP leader from Jalandhar Pawan Kumar Tinu after joining the AAP. “I was joining the AAP to support a party which is working for the common people and their development,” she had stated after joining AAP.
Surjit Kaur’s candidature was announced by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on June 20 following which she filed her nomination papers. However, due to infighting in the SAD after its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, Sukhbir withdrew the party’s support to the two-time municipal councillor, claiming she belonged to the rebel group and her candidature had been arbitrarily announced by Bibi Jagir Kaur and former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala.
Jagir Kaur and Wadala, who are part of the rebel group seeking Sukhbir’s ouster as party chief, met Surjit and assured her that senior leaders of the party would campaign for her and provide financial assistance for her electioneering.
Both leaders had even begun campaigning for Surjit Kaur but her decision to quit and join the AAP came as a shock to them.
Meanwhile, Jagir Kaur said Surjit has been garnering a huge response after the Akali Dal withdrew support to her and the AAP tried to encash it in order to win the bypoll.
“Such cheap tactics have completely exposed the AAP, which can go to any extent to win the elections. Her close family members approached me and showed heavy resentment about her joining the AAP asking me and Wadala saab to talk with her. She realised her mistake and reached us following which a detailed meeting was held,” Jagir Kaur said.
Meanwhile, Wadala said Surjit Kaur is new to mainstream politics and the AAP pressured her into joining the party.
“This shows that the AAP is morally bankrupt and could play with the sentiments of any candidate to win the bypoll. We will provide all the financial and moral support to her even as the SAD has discredited her. Moreover, such a move would cost the ruling AAP dear,” Wadala said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took a dig at Surjit’s flip-flop.
“…have some shame… Akalis in the morning, Aam Aadmi (Party) in the afternoon and back being Akalis in the evening,” Warring shared in a post on X.