The results of the Lok Sabha elections threw up two surprises in Punjab with voters electing jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of one of the assassins of Indira Gandhi, to the Parliament.
Amritpal won from the panthic seat of Khadoor Sahib by a margin of 1,97,120 votes over his nearest rival and Congress candidate Kulbuir Singh Zira while Khalsa won from Faridkot with a margin 70,053 over AAP’s Karamjit Singh Anmol. Both contested the polls as Independents, reports Indian Express.
Just about 14 months ago Amritpal, self-styled chief of the Waris Punjab De, was a wanted fugitive as the Aam Aadmi Party government launched a crackdown on his organisation with the help of the Centre. He was arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23 last year following an over a month-long manhunt.
He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. They were later shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) head Simranjit Singh Mann had extended his party’s support to Amritpal and did not field any candidate from the Khadoor Sahib seat.
His father Tarsem Singh Tuesday thanked the Almighty and expressed gratitude to the ‘sangat’ (community) for their overwhelming support.
Meanwhile, Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh — one of the two assassins of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi — on April 11 had announced that he will be contesting from Faridkot — a district to which he had never been till then. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, who were the bodyguards of the then Prime Minister, killed Gandhi on October 31, 1984 at her residence.
“It is the ‘sangat’ of Faridkot which approached me to fight the polls,” Khalsa, who is based in Mohali, had said earlier.
During the campaign, Khalsa questioned lack of action in the 2015 sacrilege incidents, issue of ‘Bandi Singhs’ (Sikh prisoners who completed their jail terms), drug menace, river water sharing, and farmers’ demand for legal guarantee to minimum support price.
“No celebrations will happen till Thursday (the anniversary of Operation Blue Star is observed from Saturday to Thursday). No one will distribute anything sweet,” Sarabjeet said. “I will pay obeisance at Golden Temple on Wednesday. I am thankful to all who voted for me,” he added.
He had unsuccessfully contested the 2004 LS polls.
