Amritpal Singh to Contest Elections from Khadoor Sahib

Amritpal Singh in a u-turn, lodged in an Assam prison under the National Security Act (NSA) since April 2023, will contest the general elections from Khadoor Sahib in Panjab as an independent, said his mother Balwinder Kaur on 26 Apr. She said, ‘The decision to contest elections has been taken on the demand of sangat (community) and panchayats (local representatives) of the constituency. The government hasn’t stopped committing atrocities against the Sikhs and the aim of contesting the polls is to take the issues of the Sikhs to a bigger platform, get the Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners) released from the jails and intensify the dharam parchar (religious propagation).’ (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 17, Story 8) The move has further stirred Panjab’s political waters, already choppy with many defections from one party to another. This development is a challenge to SAD, who claim to represent Sikhs. Khadoor Sahib is traditionally a Sikh seat. SAD has fielded veteran leader Virsa Singh Valtoha who said he met the Waris Panjab De head’s parents and got their blessing. Amritpal Singh’s father called this a historical mistake by SAD. In 2019, when Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra, the wife of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra stood from the same seat, SAD fielded Jagir Kaur, former head of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. At that time SAD was in alliance with BJP; this time the party is standing alone. Bibi Khalra and SAD (Amritsar) helmed by Simranjit Singh Mann support Amritpal Singh. In 1989, Atinderpal Singh contested from Patiala while in jail, SAD (Amritsar) supported him and he won with a 12.6% margin.