Parminder Singh Dhindsa (File Photo)

In yet another jolt to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), former minister Jagdish Singh Garcha quit the party along with his brother Maan Singh Garcha and nephew Harpreet Singh Garcha Thursday and joined expelled party leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

While Jagdish Singh Garcha remained a MLA from Kila Raipur, Harpreet is a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member.

Dhindsa and his son and former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhinsa were present on the stage a political rally in Jawaddi village when the Garchas joined them.

Speaking on the occasion, Jagdish trained guns at SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, his Union Minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal and former minister and Harsimrat’s brother Bikramjit Singh Majithia saying that they must resign from their posts. “If they think about larger interests of the party, they must resign as it is a time to save the ideology of the party,” said Jagdish.

“Although former CM Parkash Singh Badal is a seasoned politician, but he needs to think about the party rather than his own family. Party’s leadership is in hands of an inefficient person. I worked hard for the party, but Sukhbir used to make me wait for hours outside his office to meet him. Sukhbir needs only those leaders who can earn money for him. He is not fit for leading a panthic party,” Jagdish added.

Though elections are still two years away, Jagdish announced that he will contest from Sahnewal.

Dhindsa, however, said that it will be discussed at a later stage. The Rajya Sabha members also said many disgruntled Akali leaders “who are unhappy with Sukhbir’s leadership” are “ready to quit the party and join us”.

He said that though he had urged senior Badal to make Sukhbir the SAD president, but the latter turned into a dictator and has been hurting the party ideology. “When it came to celebrating the party’s foundation day, the former CM did not attend the function saying that he was unwell, but he came to address a rally against me in Sangrur. This shows his double speak,” Dhindsa said.

Jagdish remained technical education minister in the Akali government from 1997-2002. He was also into liquor business earlier and had started his political career in 1980 as sarpanch of his native village Bhutta. He won his first Assembly election in 1997.

He had contested from Kila Raipur in 2007 and 2012 as well, but had lost both elections. In 2017, he wasn’t given the ticket.

Meanwhile, Parminder Dhindsa told media persons that although he has been expelled from the Akali Dal, but this information has not been submitted in the Vidhan Sabha, due to which he is not getting a separate seat and hence not being granted separate time to speak. “Badals fear that I will speak against them in Vidhan Sabha and hence they are not sending the letter to the Speaker,” he said.