The voices of dissent against former state DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill, who is contesting from the Moga seat on a SAD(B) ticket, are getting shriller.
And going by the tenor and tone of these voices, it will take quiet an effort on the part of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal in not only convincing these voices but also motivating them to back the candidate who is being preferred by both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the deputy chief minister.
Dr K S Gill — former president of SAD(B), Moga, who is also one of the known Akali leaders in this area — led a team of 28 municipal councillors to meet Sukhbir at the latter’s village. Gill’s contention: “The background of a person shows what he is. Paramdeer Singh Gill is basically a Congressman. His father Nachhattar Singh Gill had deserted the Akali Dal not once but twice for Congress. Despite this he was made an MP with the support of Akali Dal. Parkash Singh Badal had also made him the chairman of the Subordinate Services Board.”
He added: “The Akalis of this region have worked very hard to convert this traditional a Congress seat into an Akali seat. Under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal, we have been able to put the city of Moga on the national map. This city now dreams of becoming a corporation from a council. All this hard work will be undone by one wrong decision. As a senior Akali leader, who is 75 years old, my job is to caution the leaders of my party and that is what I am going to do.”
When reminded that the final decision regarding allocation of tickets rests with the party, Gill said: “This is correct and we will follow the party’s command. But then, senior leaders need to consider the fact that it is one thing to have a highly-charged motivated worker during the elections and another to fight an election with a worker who feels he is being forced to do so. The bottomline is that this ticket should be given to the family of Jathedar Tota Singh and as the senior Jathedar is contesting the Dharmkot seat, his son Barjinder Singh Brar is the right choice.”
Gill is not alone. Gurminderjeet Singh Babloo, senior vice-president of Youth Akali Dal, said: “We are not getting into diplomacy. This seat should be given to Barjinder Brar and we will ensure that the party wins this seat. The family of DGP P S Gill is highly respected in the area but they are primarily Congressmen. The party leaders should not forget the hard work Jathedar Tota Singh’s family has put in this area.” When asked, district BJP vice-president, Anil Bansal, said: “I could have said that this seat be given to a BJP leader, but that will be wrong. This is an Akali seat and should be given to a person who is identified with the party. People in this region identify Gill with Congress.”