Ex-Cong MLA Lally may join SAD

Deepkamal kaur

Tribune news service

Jalandhar, october 28

After Dalit leader and Dera Sachkhand Ballan keyman Seth Satpal Mal, it could possibly be ex-Congress MLA Kanwaljit Singh Lally who could move to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Sources in the SAD confirmed that Lally had a meeting on the matter with Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal. An aide of Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa, Lally had been an MLA from Adampur in 1998 bypolls and in 2002 but could not make a political gain hence on. He had lost the subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections and could not re-contest from the seat in 2012 as Adampur got reserved.

Ever since, he has been lying low. He got into some action during the tenure of Bajwa as the state president and even organised some workers’ meetings for him in Adampur.

However, as Capt Amarinder Singh again became the PPCC chief, he was rarely seen in any political events.

Lally had defeated SAD’s Sarabjit Singh Makkar with a margin of about 7,000 votes in 2002. However, in 2007, he got trounced by Makkar who managed a lead of about 8,000 votes from Adampur.

Asked about the same, Lally said, “So far, there are no such plans. Let’s see how things materialise.” Insiders say that he could be adjusted in Jalandhar Cantonment where the Akali Dal is looking for a new face after the exit of Pargat Singh from the party. Interestingly,

Lally’s former political opponent from Adampur, Makkar, too, has been trying to get ticket from this seat.