SAD leader blames former Cong MLA of masterminding nomination rejection

According to Lidhher,nominations of SAD leader Avtar Singh’s wife Darshan Kaur and his daughter-in-law Harpreet Kaur were rejected on frivolous grounds.

“We demand the cancellation of panchayat polls in Liddher village,or else we will protest. In case the law does not allow cancellation,we will contest for panch and not for sarpanch’s post,” Liddher said.

Asked that how a Congressman can get the nomination of a Akali candidate rejected,Liddher said: “Bureaucrats are greedy and it has been managed.” Lidhher added that he has brought the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,who had taken it up with the Amritsar deputy commissioner.

Liddher alleged that in Darshan Kaur’s nomination papers,her vote number was changed from 12 to 112. He added that while Harpreet Kaur was called in connection to allotment of election symbols,officials took her signature on withdrawal of nominations. “Later,her name appeared on the list of rejected candidates,” Liddher said,adding that he faced threat from Dimpa — his old rival — and his family.

Later in the day,Dimpa,in a press statement,accused Lidhher of getting the nominations cancelled as his wife Satpal Kaur was also in fray for the sarpanch’s post.

He claimed that four nominations papers were filed by a group led by Lidhher. They were Darshan Kaur,Harpreet Kaur,Kashmir Kaur (sister-in-law of Avtar Singh) and Satpal Kaur — wife of Lidhher. According to Dimpa,as Lidhher wanted his wife to contest the elections,he got the nomination papers of both Darshan and Harpreet rejected by using his political clout. “… He then got the nominations of Kashmir Kaur withdrawn. Now,only Rajinder’s wife is left in the fray,” Dimpa claimed.

“In prevalent political atmosphere in Punjab,no Congressmen can even think of getting Akali candidates’ papers rejected. It was Rajinder’s unethical ways that lead to this scenario,” he said,adding that the charges against him were “totally false,baseless and miles away from truth.”

While the concerned returning officer could not be contacted,Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal said: “The only remedy available now was for any aggrieved party to file an election petition against the rejection of nominations.”