Punjab CM's namesake joins Akali Dal, creates buzz

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday created a buzz when its senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia announced that Capt Amarinder Singh has joined the party. But soon, Majithia clarified that he was not their arch rival and Punjab Chief Minister, but the founder member of a student organisation PPSO (Pal Pehelwan Students Organisation).

Describing Captain’s induction in the party as a big asset, Majithia conceded that students and youth which were weaned away by the Congress during the 2017 assembly elections by the Congress on the promise of “ghar ghar rozgar”, were now totally frustrated and disillusioned and are flocking to the SAD fold in a big way.

“They have realized that the false hope was mere poll stunt to hoodwink the gullible youth of Punjab,” said the former minister.

Notably, Captain had floated the non-political student body PPSO way back in 2015 and since then, it has been contesting Punjab Students’ Union and cornered substantial number of votes with its performance improving each year. In a short span of time, the PPSO has emerged as a force to reckon with in the students’ politics.

Though no students’ union elections are held in Punjab, yet Captain build up PPSO units and spread it across Punjab and has area of influence in Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts.