SSM pitches Lakha Sidhana from Maur

The Delhi Police had earlier booked Lakha in the FIR registered after violence broke out at Red Fort during a tractor parade by farmer unions on Republic Day last year. He was booked on charges of inciting violence and Delhi Police had also announced a reward of ?1 lakh on his head.

Lakha had then gone underground and surfaced on February 23 when he addressed a youth rally in former CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s native village, Mehraj, in Rampura Phul constituency of Bathinda. However, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella group of farm unions spearheading the protest against the now repealed agri laws, had completely distanced itself from Lakha at that time.

After that he made several public appearances. On September 15, last year, he led a convoy of 500 vehicles towards Singhu border in which many SKM leaders were also present.

At that time Lakha had said that he was on the same page with BKU Haryana leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni’s on latter’s idea of Mission Punjab. However, at that time, he had not shown any interest in contesting polls.

Earlier, in 2012, he had contested as a candidate of People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), floated by Manpreet Singh Badal, from Rampura Phul constituency and had got 10,065 votes. He was placed third. In 2013, during Zila Parishad elections, a PPP supporter was killed while Lakha got injured in a poll violence case. He had left the PPP the same year.

Lakha, along with 60 unidentified people, was booked in an attempt to murder case while they were protesting in Badal village in May 2019.

It needs to be mentioned that he had stated that he wasn’t involved in the Red Fort violence but the case is pending against him. In 2012, while filing affidavit he had mentioned details of one case lodged in 2001 under the arms Act in which he was convicted. He runs one Malwa Youth Federation through which he helps the poor.