Two Akali candidates to fight on BJP symbol
Vijay Goel said Sharma will resign from the BJP to contest from Hari Nagar on the SAD symbol.
The Shiromani Akali Dal may have got four seats to contest from in the Assembly elections,but two of its candidates will still be fighting on the symbol of the BJP whereas one BJP candidate will contest on the Akali symbol.
Unable to explain the strange arrangement for the four Akali seats,Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh GK brushed it aside,saying it was a decision taken by senior leaders. Till now,Akalis had been fighting on the BJP symbol,except in the last elections when Avtar Singh Hit fought on the Akali symbol from Rajouri Garden.
“This arrangement has been made after consultations with senior leaders and they have approved the candidates as well. As we are a natural ally,we should not be bothered about who got what,” GK said.
SAD’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the experiment in the last elections to promote the Akali symbol in Delhi had a positive outcome as the candidate lost by only 46 votes. “Once we start promoting our symbol,it would be more convenient for us to fight on the taraju and not on the BJP symbol,” Sirsa said.
However,when asked about the decision to allow a BJP candidate to fight on the Akali symbol and seat,and whether there was a shortage of Akali leaders in Delhi,GK said,“We want young leaders to fight the elections and,therefore,have given tickets to Manjinder Singh Sirsa,Harmit Singh Kalka and Jitendra Singh Shunty. How does it matter if one seat has been given to a BJP leader? We are an alliance,” GK said.
Asked how Shyam Sharma,who was the garden committee head in the corporation,can fight on the taraju symbol,Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel said Sharma will resign from the BJP to contest from Hari Nagar on the SAD symbol. “In order to fight from SAD,Sharma will resign from the BJP and join SAD,” he said.
When Harsharan Singh Balli,BJP’s four-time sitting MLA,was denied ticket,the party had reasoned that the seat had gone to the Akalis. Asked why Balli was denied ticket,both GK and Goel said,“Balli is not keeping well and is unfit to fight the elections.” (Balli is going to fight from the Congress).
Manjinder Singh Sirsa will contest from Rajouri Garden and Shyam Sharma from Hari Nagar on the party symbol whereas both the Akali leaders will fight on the BJP symbol. From Kalkaji,Harmit Singh Kalka and,from Shahdara,Jitender Singh Shunty will contest on the BJP symbol.
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