In a major blow to the SAD-BJP campaign in the Rajpura segment of the district, sitting member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Surjit Singh Garhi joins AAP.
Alongwith Garhi, a large number of SAD workers and supporters, also shifted their loyalties to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in presence of party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh late last night.
Garhi had won the last SGPC elections by a margin of 25,000 votes and it is being believed that his shifting to the AAP might see the SAD-BJP vote bank drifting away from the parent party.
Initially, Garhi was hoping that the SAD would swap the Rajpura seat with its alliance partner BJP, which was eager to field its candidate from the Barnala seat. However, as the swapping could not be worked out, Garhi had started feeling suffocated within the party and finally took the call to join the AAP.
The joining of Garhi was preceded by interesting developments as SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal made an all-out attempt to prevail upon him last evening, but he refused to bulge.
According to party insiders, Sukhbir Badal first asked Garhi to meet him in Patiala where he was addressing two public rallies in support of Akali candidates. However, Garhi said he was out of station. Later, Sukhbir halted at Rajpura and offered to meet Garhi at his residence, but he again stated that he was not in the town.
As the word got out that Sukhbir Badal was trying to prevent Garhi from joining the rival party, AAP state affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh reached Rajpura late in the night and welcomed Garhi into the party fold.
According to political observers, Garhi had a huge following in villages that were now a part of the Ghanour segment and this could change the voting patterns in this constituency.
What political observers say
According to political observers, sitting member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Surjit Singh Garhi has a huge following in villages that were now a part of the Ghanour segment and this could change the voting patterns in this constituency.