MADRAS: Former Punjab chief minister and a leader of the Akali Dal (Longowal) group Surjit Singh Barnala said efforts were on to unite various Akali Dal factions for the coming elections to the Punjab assembly and the lower house of Parliament.
He told PTI here that his party was making efforts in this direction and there was a possibility of joining hands for the elections.
Three factions of the Akali Dal had come together and he asked Simranjit Singh Mann to head the united party but unfortunately he could not carry all the Akalis with him Barnala said. Barnala said a settlement was still possible before the elections and discussions were continuing.
Asked about the situation in Punjab now he said it was not good with many candidates having been killed.
There was a section of militants who were saying that they would not allow elections to be held in Punjab
On the center’s decision to hold polls in Punjab Barnala said his party as well as the National Front had demanded some time ago that elections be held in Punjab as president’s rule could not go on forever.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991
