Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is likely to support Waris Punjab De chief, Amritpal Singh, who is currently in Dibrugarh Jail. This follows a recent announcement made by the radical preacher’s legal council, Rajdev Singh Khalsa, which said that Amritpal will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections independently in 2024.
Sources inform that SAD is looking to play the Panthak card following its separation from Hindutva focused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In an attempt to earn the sikh votebank back, they are likely to support the radical Sikh preacher, who enjoys a substantial following in Punjab.
Congress’ Jasbir Singh Dimpa had won the Khadoor Sahib seat in the previous Lok Sabha elections beating the Akalis. Amritpal's entry into the foray will set up a close battle for the Lok Sabha seat. It is pertinent to note that the Sri Khadoor Sahib constituency has been traditionally won by Panthak candidates. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be putting their hopes behind Laljit Singh Bhullar, while the BJP will be fielding Manjeet Singh Manna Mianwind, a former SAD member. Meanwhile, it is being speculated that Congress is likely to field Rana Gurjeet Singh, who is a sitting MLA from Kapurthala.