Thekedar flays SAD decision on polls

LUDHIANA, Nov 6: In a significant move, which could have far reaching ramifications in the coming assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan and two other states, veteran Akali Dal leader and senior vice-president of SAD B Surjan Singh Thekedar today not only condemned the party8217;s decision to not to contest assembly elections in Delhi and Rajasthan but exhorted the Sikh population settled in these states to field their own candidates and ensure their win.

Talking to ENS here, Thekedar said that the Political Affairs Committee PAC, of which he was one of the members, had taken a decision to contest in some assembly seats in Delhi and Rajasthan, which had a sizeable Sikh population. Criticising party secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and SADB MP Prem Singh Chandumajra of the negotiating committee, he said if at all, the party was unwilling to contest the seats offered by the BJP, the matter should have been brought up before the PAC for a final decision.

The party was to provide a voice to Sikh population, including farmers, in the respective state assemblies, now who would listen to them, he questioned the party leadership.Thekedar said that that the issue was closely related to 8220;Sikh kaum8221; and the volte face by SADB would prove suicidal.