Punjab elections: Former Moga MLA Jain, son Akshit expelled from SAD
Moga SAD candidate Barjinder Singh had argument with Akshit on polling day over anti-party activities
Two days after the Punjab assembly elections, former Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain, his son Akshit Jain, who is a former mayor of Moga, and four other local leaders were expelled from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for anti-party activities.
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Joginder Pal Jain was elected to Punjab assembly thrice, including the 2013 byelection. He had won from the Congress ticket in 2007 and 2012. He joined the SAD and won the 2013 byelection.
He was away from active politics for the past few years due to health problems.
Other leaders who were expelled along with him are Jagdeep Singh Gatra, a former president of the district Youth Akali Dal, Parget Singh, a former vice-president of the district Youth Akali Dal, Veerbhan Dhan, a former councillor, and Dr Sharanpreet Singh Micky Gill.
On Sunday, the Akali candidate, Barjinder Singh, alias Makhan Brar, Amrish Bagga, a former councillor, and Akshit had a heated argument near B.Ed College, Moga.
Sources said that the local unit of the SAD accused the Jain family of helping candidates of opposition parties.
Tirath Singh Mahla, the district SAD president, said that the six leaders have been expelled with immediate effect. Mahla, who is also the Baghapurana SAD candidate, said, “There is no place in the party for those who have damaged it. Therefore, they have been expelled.”
Brar claimed, “Akshit Jain openly indulged in anti-party activities.”
When contacted, Akshit Jain, who was elected as the first mayor of Moga municipal corporation in 2015, said, “We are with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and will remain with him. We are going to meet Sukhbir and will accept whatever decision he takes.”
