SAD to pitch ex-bureaucrat Guru from Fatehgarh Sahib
CHANDIGARH: Retired IAS officer Darbara Singh Guru, who remained principal secretary to former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal from 2007 to 2011, is tipped to be the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from the Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary seat.
The constituency is reserved for scheduled caste (SC) candidates. In a meeting with party workers and presidents of Fatehgarh Sahib urban and rural units on Saturday, SAD chief Sukhhir Singh Badal announced Guru’s name, it is learnt.
The names of ex-lok Sabha MPS Paramjit Kaur Gulshan and Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, former MLAS Bikram Singh Khalsa and Vaninder Kaur Loomba were also discussed for the party ticket.
A formal announcement on this is expected in a week. So far, the party has announced candidates from two constituencies — former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib and ex-lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal — of a total of 10 seats it will contest in alliance with BJP.
Earlier, Atwal had sought party ticket either for himself or his son Rinku from Fatehgarh Sahib. “We asked for a new face with a clean image as the party is passing through a tough phase. Also, he is familiar with the working of the state official machinery and has a hold in the government set-up and it will benefit the constituency. He now keeps a flowing beard, suiting the Akali ethos,” said Swaran Singh Chanarthal, SAD’S Fatehgarh Sahib chief.
A party leader said Guru was the choice of both Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir. Guru, who resigned from service in November 2011, joined SAD and contested as party candidate from Bhadaur in 2012 assembly polls but lost. In 2017 state elections, he again contested unsuccessfully from the Bassi Pathana seat.
SANGRUR: PARTY WANTS TO FIELD DHINDSA JR
SAD is keen on fielding former state finance minister Parminder Dhindsa from Sangrur despite his father and veteran leader Sukhdev Dhindsa having told him not to contest on party ticket. Dhindsa last year stepped down from all SAD posts, citing health reasons, triggering a crisis in the party, culminating in the expulsion of three senior leaders — MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan.