The protest by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at the SDM Office, aimed at addressing the rejection of nomination papers for panchayat elections, morphed into a campaign rally for the upcoming Gidderbaha Assembly bypoll, expected to be announced soon.
Party leaders and supporters urged SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal not only to contest in the bypoll but also to formally declare his candidacy.
This marked Sukhbir’s first public appearance after being labeled a ‘tankhaiya’ on August 30. On October 8, he and several other Akali leaders had blocked traffic outside the Mukstar District Administrative Complex, demanding that authorities revise the list of eligible candidates within two days.
Sukhbir promised to serve as sarpanch, panch, and MLA for the people of Gidderbaha, stating, “The parliamentary board will choose the candidate for the Gidderbaha bypoll, but I assure you that I will be here for you… My father, Bapu Badal (former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal), asked me to specifically look after the people of Gidderbaha and Lambi. You supported him in becoming CM, and in turn, he developed this region.”
Former MLA Raghubir Singh Pardhan and other SAD leaders openly called on Sukhbir to run in the Gidderbaha bypoll. They accused the AAP government of undermining democracy.
Sukhbir asserted, “The panchayat elections must be annulled. We have assembled a team of 50 lawyers to file petitions for those whose nominations were improperly rejected. Additionally, a CBI investigation is necessary to reveal the individuals responsible for these serious irregularities.”