Rebel Akali refuses to quit Assembly, loses LS seat

The Election Commission will now issue the notification declaring the Tarn Taran seat vacant.

Meanwhile, Lalpura, who seemed to be unrepentant, maintained he was a loyal worker of the party. He added that he would not go public on the issue until Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned from the USA where he is convalescing after undergoing surgery.

The SGPC chief said Lalpura’s action had come as a setback to the party and was an act of betrayal, all the more so as the Akali Dal was the only party which had extended unconditional support to the Bharatiya Janata Party in forming the government at the centre.Lalpura had decided against going to the Lok Sabha at a time when the support of every member was crucial to form the government.

Tohra said that Lalpura’s behaviour had always been unpredictable and he had been in and out of the party several times. He was the choice of Badal for the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha seat.

Lalpura denied he had set any preconditions for resigning his Vidhan Sabha seat. However, he refused to spell out the reason for not resigning from Vidhan Sabha. Earlier, it was mentioned that he wanted an assurance that he would be inducted as a minister. "I do not care even for the Vidhan Sabha seat," he said.

He admitted that Union Minister Surjit Singh Barnala had conveyed Atal Behari Vajpayee’s message but said he was never contacted directly by the Prime Minister. He claimed he took the decision after taking into confidence his main supporters and added that it did not amount to betraying them.