DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The SAD will support the BSP nominee in the bypoll for the Jalandhar West assembly seat instead of the officially fielded candidate, as she was picked by a panel two of whose members have now rebelled against party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The Shiromani Akali Dal is unable to change its authorised candidate now as the last day for this has already past.

The SAD now does not have its own authorised candidate for the July 10 bypoll, senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema told reporters on Thursday.

On Wednesday, SAD's Jalandhar district unit chief announced that the party has withdrawn support to its Jalandhar West candidate Surjit Kaur who is a two-time municipal councillor.

Surjit Kaur was selected for the seat by a SAD panel comprising Bibi Jagir Kaur, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi and Mohinder Singh Kaypee.

However, Jagir Kaur and Wadala are now among rebel party leaders who revolted against Badal, demanding that he should step down as party chief. Cheema said the party has conveyed to its workers to support Bahujan Samaj Party nominee Binder Kumar in the assembly bypoll.

The senior SAD leader also said he has requested Surjit Kaur not to contest the by-election. The last date of withdrawal of the nomination was June 26.

Surjit Kaur has already been allotted the SAD symbol and is among 15 candidates who are left in the fray for the bypoll, which was necessitated following the resignation of Sheetal Angural as Aam Aadmi Party legislator.

SAD's Jalandhar district unit chief (urban) Kulwant Singh had said that the decision to withdraw the support to Surjit Kaur was taken after consulting party chief Badal.

Singh said that the candidate was allegedly in touch with the rebel leaders and her candidature was announced without consulting him and other party leaders.SAD leader Cheema said that the party's position in the Jalandhar West seat was weak, saying it could manage just 2,600 votes in this assembly segment during the Lok Sabha elections. Cheema further said that the party had advised against fielding the candidate from this seat.
(editor@dailyworld.in)