3 Majha veterans won’t attend Akali rally in Patiala on October 7

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)’s three veteran leaders from Majha — Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and ex-minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan — will not attend the party’s October 7 rally in Patiala, the constituency of chief minister Amarinder Singh.

The party is holding the rally against what it calls the “misrule of the ruling Congress”.

“The issues have not been thrashed out with the party top brass. Therefore, I, Brahmpura and Ajnala have decided not to attend the rally,” Sekhwan told HT.

Brahmpura, who on Sunday had announced to attend the rally on former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s request, was not available for comments.

The party old guard, referred as ‘taksalis’, are upset over the way some decisions were taken unilaterally and in haste in the recent past and the kind of repercussions the party had to face in their aftermath.

They say the party that ruled the state for 10 years in a go was reduced to third spot in the assembly with the first-timer Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) taking a lead over it due to their (Akalis’) faulty decision-making.

The simmering dissent came to the fore when veteran leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa resigned from all party posts and the leaders from Majha coming out in the open saying “all is not well in the Akali Dal”.

Sekhwan said three of them will meet Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa before the rally to work out next course of action. After his resignation, he is in touch with all senior party leaders, except the Badals.

“We don’t want to leave the the party which we nurtured collectively but some people are damaging it. Therefore, we want them out,” said Sekhwan.

Dhindsa’s son, former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, on Thursday held a meeting with party president Sukhbir Badal in Sangrur to mobilise the supporters for the rally. Parminder is likely to attend the rally.

‘Will resolve internal issues’

Speaking about the issues raised by the party’s Majha leaders, Sukhbir said that party is united and there is no problem at all.

“There are some internal issues which we will resolve. I am in touch with all leaders of the party and things will come to normal very soon,” he said.

First Published: Oct 05, 2018 09:51 IST