Akalis will conquer Delhi: Sukhbir

Seeking to expand the base of Akali Dal beyond Punjab, the Akalis are going all out to make a mark in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections...

Seeking to expand the base of Akali Dal beyond Punjab, the Akalis are going all out to make a mark in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections, where they are banking for victory on the basis of 8220;political success of Sikhs across the globe8221;. With a few days left for the November 29 polling in the capital, the ruling Akali Dal in Punjab has put all its might behind its four candidates contesting in Delhi.

So serious is the Akali think-tank about ensuring a decent first faring for its representatives that practically all its senior leaders, including ministers, parliamentary secretaries and MLAs, have been camping in the capital ahead of polling for the 70-member Assembly.

Back home in Punjab, all senior Akali leadership is in absentia, bringing to a halt the entire state administrative machinery. The public is waiting for the leaders to return from their political explorations and address their problems.

Spearheading the Akali campaign in Delhi is none other than SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has assigned each Akali constituency in Delhi to at least four ministers/parliamentary secretaries.

8220;This is the first bold decision taken by the party. We hope to beat our opponents from wherever we are contesting. The time has come for SAD to expand its wings beyond Punjab. After vanquishing Delhi, we will repeat our victory in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls,8221; a confident Sukhbir Badal told The Indian Express. Lending support to him is Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is busy addressing election rallies in Delhi. The first rally addressed by Badal was in favour of BJP8217;s chief ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra in Greater Kailash, from where SAD Delhi president Manjinder Singh also hails.

The Akali Dal is contesting from four Assembly constituencies in Delhi 8212; Rajouri Garden, Jangpura, Adarsh Nagar and Shahadra. While the Akali candidate from Rajouri Garden, Avtar Singh Hit, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, is contesting on the Akali symbol of scales, all the other Akali candidates are contesting on the BJP symbol of lotus. This is the first time the SAD symbol is being used for any election outside Punjab.

With electioneering is at its peak, as many as 15 Akali Dal ministers and parliamentary secretaries are in Delhi. Leading the campaign in favour of Hit in Rajouri Garden is Sukhbir8217;s brother-in-law and Public Health Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia. The Akali mantle in Jangpura is in the hands of Ludhiana MP Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, who is campaigning for their candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

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Former MP and SAD8217;s candidate from Patiala parliamentary constituency Prem Singh Chandumajra is holding the fort in Adarsh Nagar for candidate Ravinder Singh Khurana. 8220;Sikhs are in majority in many areas of Delhi 8212; a factor we hope to cash in on. This is just the beginning. We hope to go a long way,8221; Chandumajra said.

Those involved in canvassing include MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, ministers Upinderjit Kaur, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Hira Singh Gabria, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Sucha Singh Langah and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar.