M A I N   N E W S

Wadala backs Ravi Inder
Move towards realignment of forces

JALANDHAR, April 22 (PTI) — Signalling a move towards realignment of forces opposed to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Akali Dal (Democratic) President, Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala, today openly declared full support to Mr Ravi Inder Singh saying the dissident Akali leader has emerged as the rallying point to overthrow Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

“Any meaningful initiative in the interest of Punjab and the Panth would only be possible if Badal, the rootcause of all problems, was first ousted from the chief ministerial chair. Ravi Inder Singh is fast working towards that direction,” Mr Wadala told reporters here.

Dropping another political bombshell, Mr Wadala said even senior leader of the Akali Dal (Badal) and former Union Minister, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, has “endorsed the efforts being made by his party in this direction.”

He said his party earlier tried to forge a common front of Panthic forces, but the efforts came a cropper. “People no more believe us because we speak in different voices and have failed to come together. Now that Mr Ravi Inder Singh has emerged as the ray of hope, our party would fully back him to ensure ouster of Mr Badal,” he said.

Mr Wadala claimed that he was in regular contact with Mr Ravi Inder Singh and “it was now a matter of only a few more MLAs switching loyalties. I have personally assured Mr Ravi Inder Singh of getting support of seven to eight MLAs for him. Once he gets the nod from 45 Akali legislators, Mr Badal will no longer be the leader.”

He said the BJP stalwarts have already indicated that their ties were with the Akali Dal and not with an individual. “The BJP would back the majority group and Mr Ravi Inder Singh would be the Chief Minister,” Mr Wadala said, adding that he himself would not accept any ministerial berth.

He refused to further elaborate what Mr Barnala had to say about the ‘oust Badal move’ but said the former Chief Minister of the state appreciated Akali Dal (Democratic)’s efforts. “Tussi achha kamm kar rahe ho (you are doing a good piece of work),” Mr Wadala quoted Mr Barnala as telling him in Chandigarh last Sunday about his party’s co-ordination with Mr Ravi Inder Singh.

He said the Akali Dal (Democratic) would participate in next Tuesday’s rally in Ludhiana which is to be addressed by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Mr Wadala slammed Mr Badal for his failure to raise issues like inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttaranchal despite strong opposition of Punjabi residents of the territory, rehabilitation of Army deserters in 1984, release of hundreds of Sikh youth languishing in jails for over a decade and return of Chandigarh to Punjab. “Mr Badal is suddenly more interested in creating a new Chandigarh and thus uprooting hundreds of families,” he said.