Amritpal Effect: More Associates Want to Contest By-Polls

Since four Panjab Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have fallen vacant as candidates have been elected as Members of Parliament (MPs), the Speaker of Panjab Assembly has declared the seats vacant. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is mandated to schedule these by-polls within six months. Three of Amritpal Singh’s associates locked up in Dibrugarh jail, Assam have expressed their intention to contest these seats. All of them are undertrials under the National Security Act (NSA), renewed for another year just a few weeks back. Kulwant Singh Raoke, an employee of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), intends to contest from Barnala. In 1987, Raoke’s father Charat Singh faced the NSA and never returned home after being picked up by the police in 1993. It was an extra-judicial killing. Raoke’s uncle and Charat’s younger brother Gurmail Singh, died in June 1984 in ‘Operation Blue Star.’ Bhagwant Singh alias ‘Pradhan Mantri’ Bajeke, a YouTuber, intends to contest from Gidderbaha. Bajeke was known as Amritpal’s ‘right-hand man.’ He was arrested while working on his farm. Daljeet Singh Kalsi, an actor and writer, intends to contest from Dera Baba Nanak. Kalsi was a purported adviser and financier of Amritpal Singh, who frequented parties in the Panjabi film industry and was in 2022 seen submitting a memorandum against India to the Consul General of Pakistan in Vancouver. Sandeep Singh Sunny has also announced his candidacy for the Dera Baba Nanak. Sunny is not directly associated with Amritpal Singh. Sunny had shot dead Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar in November 2022. His case is ongoing and he is lodged in Patiala jail.