Chandigarh, Jan 11 (PTI) In a boast to the Congress in Punjab, the Sehajdhari Sikh Party today extended its support to it and announced withdrawal of all its 21 candidates. The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here, in which a delegation of Sehajdhari Sikh Party under the leadership of its national president P S Ranu and Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh participated. SAD(Badal) connived with BJP-led NDA government during 2003 and got an illegal notification issued to deprive Sehajdhari Sikhs of their voting rights, Ranu said. “The issue of voting right of the Sehajdharis Sikhs in the SGPC elections was recently soughted out by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but the Akali Dal (Badal) after the legal defeat has now planned to nullify the High Court orders by amending the Gurudwara Act 1925 after legislating the bill in this regard,” Ranu said while clarifying stand on the issue of support to the Congress. The Sehajdhari Sikh Party has decided to support the largest party in the state and to keep the Badals away from the Assembly in the interest of the Sehajdhari Sikhs. On January 5, the party had jumped into the poll fray by releasing a list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
News Source: IBN
