Akali MLA from Banga Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi joins AAP

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 14

In a big jolt to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), party’s MLA from Banga Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi on Wednesday joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

The SAD has three MLAs in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha. The Banga MLA has not yet resigned from the Vidhan Sabha and is unlikely to do so immediately. “I am seeking legal advice and looking at other technicalities,” Dr Sukhi told reporters.

The Vidhan Sabha has not been informed about this defection of the SAD MLA. In its records, Dr Sukhi continues to be an SAD MLA. “Till the time any of the parties (AAP or SAD) writes to the Vidhan Sabha about his joining AAP and leaving the SAD, he will continue to sit on the benches allotted to the Akali Dal,” said a senior official in the Vidhan Sabha. In the past also, some MLAs joined other parties, but did no resign from the Vidhan Sabha.

CM Mann and AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak inducted Sukhi into the party. The CM said Sukhi’s ideology matched with the AAP ideology. “He hails from the land of Bhagat Singh and subscribes to Dr Ambedkar’s ideology… just like us. He will be an asset to the party,” he said.

Dr Sukhi did not say anything against the Akali Dal or its president Sukhbir Singh Badal. “I have nothing against him. I have been an MLA for nearly seven years. During the Congress rule, my constituency was completely ignored. After the AAP government came to power, they allotted a medical college and listened to my demands for my people. Being answerable to my constituency, I have decided to join AAP,” he said.

Dr Sukhi, who began his political innings with the BSP in the 1990s, is a two-time Akali MLA from Banga.

The Akali Dal is shocked over Sukhi’s move. The rebel faction led by Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who heads the SAD reforms movement, termed Sukhi’s defection as unfortunate and a jolt to the Akalis.

Another rebel leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said the defection was a writing on the wall. “We have been saying this for long that hard working leaders will leave the party if it remains in the hands of the Badals,” he said.

SAD sources said Sukhi had never shared any grievance with the party leaders and his migration to the AAP came as a shock. Party spokesperson Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema said Sukhi was made core-committee member and given proper respect.