Shiromani Akali Dal Chandigarh candidate Hardeep Saini quits party, may join BJP

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, May 6

In a major setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which was going to fight the Lok Sabha election in the city for the first time, its candidate, Hardeep Singh Saini, who is three-time councillor and city SAD president, has resigned from the party.

Though, Hardeep (41), who comes from Butrela village, has not revealed his next move, sources told Chandigarh Tribune that he was likely to join the BJP. If this happens, then it would be a big support for the saffron party from Ward Number 30 (Sector 41, Badheri and Butrela) represented by Hardeep.

Party not serious about Chandigarh election

Seeing that the party is still adopting a callous attitude towards Chandigarh, I along with my team resigned from the SAD and also returned the party ticket. — Hardeep Singh Saini

Announcing his resignation at a press conference at Press Club here today, Hardeep, while introducing himself as a poor farmer’s son, said, “When my name was being finalised, I had told the party that the MP poll was a big election compared to the MC poll and he would need the party’s support. Like the MC elections, it should not happen that no leader comes here for campaigning and party fund is not given to the candidate for fighting the election. However, seeing that the party is still adopting a callous attitude towards Chandigarh, today, I along with my team resigned from the SAD and also returned the party ticket.”

Number 30 has been a family ward for Hardeep. His father Gurnam Singh and brother Malkiat Singh had been councillors from this ward in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Unfortunately, both died during their tenure as councillor. After brother’s death, Hardeep was elected councillor from the ward in 2015, 2016 and 2021. He rose to become Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The lone SAD councillor, who runs a tenting business, was to be pitted against BJP’s Sanjay Tandon and Congress’ Manish Tewari, making it a three-cornered fight. The SAD had been fighting the LS polls in alliance with the BJP here all these years. The two parties had separately contested the December 2021 MC elections for the first time after parting ways over farmers’ protests.

Voted for BJP in mayoral poll

Despite the fact the two parties had ended their alliance, the lone SAD councillor had voted for the ruling BJP in the recent mayoral poll. The SAD had boycotted the mayoral poll for the past two years. However, Hardeep had voted for the BJP’s candidates for all three posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor this year.