Expecting SAD’s Gidderbaha bypoll ticket, Dimpy Dhillon says Sukhbir Badal asked him about bringing back Manpreet

Dimpy Dhillon has been unsuccessfully contesting the Gidderbaha seat since 2012 on an SAD (B) ticket. He lost the 2022 election to Raja Warring by a margin of just 1,300 votes. Even though Dhillon has been already working in the constituency in view of the bypoll, the SAD (B) has not announced his name amid rumours that party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal or even Manpreet Singh Badal could be its pick. Rumours also suggest that Dhillon may contest the bypoll on an AAP ticket. He talked to The Indian Express over what is on his mind.

Q: The Aam Aadmi Party has won Jalandhar bypoll in a one-sided contest. Will it repeat in Gidderbaha?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: Gidderbaha has a different scenario. We can’t compare Gidderbaha with Jalandhar. The AAP couldn’t win Gidderbaha even during its wave in 2022. Now people have seen them. They couldn’t do much in two years. Gidderbaha voters are good observers and they don’t follow anyone blindly. People will also see who is looking after their daily affairs. No single factor will work here. The AAP can’t get vote here just because it is their government in the state. It won’t work. Candidates, parties and issues will also matter.

Q: There are rumours that you have been approached by the AAP. Is this true?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: I know such things are going on. I am also getting phone calls about what my plans are. But it is a fact that no one from the AAP has directly approached me. Indirectly, AAP workers have been asking. The AAP in Gidderbaha has former Akali or Congress workers. So, such workers in the AAP are telling me that they will stand behind me if I join their party. They feel comfortable with me. Such workers are approaching me. But no senior leadership has made a phone call to me yet.

Q: Is there any possibility of your joining the AAP if someone important calls you to join it?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: To tell you the truth, I have no such plan so far. I have spent my life here in the SAD and why should I quit now?

Q: But it seems there is some disappointment inside you regarding SAD (B).

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: There is no disappointment regarding the SAD. But surely, I am worried about the party’ graph, which is down. Why is the whole world up against the Akali Dal? Are we that bad? We did many things for Punjab. We carried out development, worked for people, and gave jobs. But things have not gone our way. In the Jalandhar bypoll, we didn’t have candidates. Still Congress, BJP, and the AAP were criticising the SAD. They were blaming Sukhbir Badal for everything. I was surprised that they still fear so much from the SAD when we didn’t even have a candidate.

Q: Were you asked by the party to leave Gidderbaha for Manpreet Singh Badal?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: It is an old incident. It was in January this year that party president Sukhbir Singh Badal enquired with me about bringing back Manpreet Singh Badal. It was much before the possibility of a bypoll emerged. I told Sukhbir Singh Badal that I wouldn’t be angry about it. It is your seat. You gave it to me. You are the party president. If you want to give it to someone else, then you can. I have no objection. But I won’t be able to work with Manpreet Singh Badal. It won’t be possible to synchronise my ideology with him because I have been fighting against him since 2012. But I told Sukhbir Singh Badal that I wouldn’t even oppose if he insisted. But I won’t walk with him (Manpreet Singh Badal). In that case, I will better focus on my business. So this was all that happened. Later, Sukhbir Singh Badal told me that there was nothing serious; he was just enquiring with me. He told me that I am the first preference and I should lead. But all this happened before the scope for a bypoll was created.

Q: There are also rumours that BJP is putting pressure on Manpreet Singh Badal to contest the Gidderbaha bypoll. Will it impact your prospects?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: All the workers who are with Manpreet Singh Badal are basically from the Akali Dal. But farmers hate the BJP. Villagers may vote for Manpreet Singh Badal otherwise, but not on the BJP symbol. Also, he doesn’t have good relations in Gidderbaha city, where the core vote bank of the BJP resides. Government employees also don’t like him. So it won’t have much impact.

Q: Can Sukhbir Badal himself be the candidate in Gidderbaha? Some surveys were conducted to check his possibilities.

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: I am not aware of any survey. He is the party president and he can contest polls from anywhere. He is welcome… When the party tells me that my seat is clear and I should contest the election, I will surely tell you. But so far, I have been asked to work as in charge of the consistency.

Q: You lost by a small margin last time. How do you consider your chances now?

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon: I worked hard last time also. It is also luck that works for you. What I can do is hard work and I am doing that. I believe in hard work and it is up to the almighty when he showers success on us.