PATIALA: While the Shiromani Akali Dal will support the Samta Party led by Devi Lal in Haryana in the elections, in other states it has been left to the state party units to decide which ever party they like to support to defeat Wal Curses candidates. Stating this at a press conference here the party president, Parkash Singh Badal, said that his party was committed to defeat the Congress to dislodge the comupt and anti-people party. I was the decision of his party’s Delhi unit to support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Congress, he disclosed.
Badal said that by fielding his son Jaspreet Singh in Faridkot he had not indulged in favoritism instead had submitted before the party’s pressure to nominate his son, Had he not put his son against the Chief Minister Harchand Brar’s daughter Babbli Brar, his opponents would have charged that he was running from his responsibility of contesting against the Brars. Rather it would have been alleged that I was indirectly supporting Brar, he maintained.
In case of a hung parliament Badal said his party would work and support for the formation of an opposition led government at the Center.
M can while in Amritsar, the local Akali Dal leaders revolted against party high command by deciding not to take part in the campaigning for Janata Dal candidate from Amritsar seat, Kirpal Singh, to whom Akali Dal (Badal) had extended support.
‘A large number of Akali Dal leaders under the command of senior Akali leader Hari Singh Aarewala, member of SGPC executive committee, at a meeting, resolved not to support Kirpal Singh as the latter had never support the policies of Akali Dal.
A press release by Pritam Singh Gill, secretary, youth wing of Akali Dal (Badal) said that to obey the party orders, the Akali leaders would caste individual votes to Kirpal Singh but they ‘would not canvass for him. This decision of Akali Dal leaders is considered a major setback to Kirpal Singh who is banking on Akali Dal support to meet the challenge of his nearest rival Congress candidate Raghunanadan Lal Bhatia. Mohan Lal Sandhal, president of North Indie Sabajdhari Sikh Sabha also attended the meeting.
‘The Communist Party of India (ML) after scrapping all the pacts with the multinational companies (MNC) will confiscate their assets to distribute these among the poor and landless people on coming to power in the ensuing elections.
This was promised in the election manifesto which was released at the party’s central election office.
Darshan Singh Khatkar, secretary of the party, while lashing out at the ruling party said that it was playing the fiddle of the super powers with the result that the country is being driven towards a state of decolonization.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 17, 1996
