GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 2nd April. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the chief of Shiromani Akali Dal, announced on Monday that he will not be running in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Badal made this statement after a day-long meeting with party leaders, district party presidents, and members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to discuss potential candidates for the state’s parliamentary seats.
When asked if he would be contesting in the parliamentary elections, Badal, who currently represents the Ferozepur seat, responded, “I am not running in the elections.” He also mentioned that discussions were ongoing regarding potential candidates.
Once the consultation process is complete, the candidates’ names will be announced, he added.
“We conducted a meeting for the six parliamentary seats here, where district presidents, halqa incharges, and SGPC members were invited to share their opinions,” he answered another question.
According to party sources, the names of former ministers Anil Joshi, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu are being considered for the Amritsar, Sangrur, and Jalandhar (reserve) seats, respectively.
Last month, the BJP declared that it would independently contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, signaling the end of negotiations to revive an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
During that time, Badal emphasized that principles were more important for his party than just focusing on numbers.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had exited the BJP-led NDA in September 2020 due to the now-repealed farm laws. The two parties had initially formed an alliance in 1996, and in 2019, they each won two Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.
Voting for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab is scheduled for June 1.
