Two months after switch, AAP fields Dimpy from Gidderbaha segment

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, 56, was the SAD’s working committee member and a close aide of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal before he joined AAP on August 28.

Later, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had publicly told him to get ready for a major responsibility. In less than two months, AAP has given him the ticket to contest the Gidderbaha Assembly bypoll scheduled on November 13.

Dimpy has unsuccessfully contested two Vidhan Sabha elections on the SAD ticket against Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in 2017 and 2022. He lost the last election by a margin of 1,349 votes.

A co-owner of New Deep Transport, Dimpy was chairman of the District Planning Committee, Muktsar during the SAD-BJP government from 2012 to 2017.

His association with the Badal family dates back to 1990s, when the latter faced a tough time in transport business. Dimpy’s family had provided several buses to the Badals, which cemented their relationship.

However, their family bond of over three decades ended on August 25, when Dimpy left the Akali Dal stating that Sukhbir and his cousin, BJP leader and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, had hobnobbed with each other for the Gidderbaha bypoll.

Despite all this, Dimpy still credits Sukhbir for bringing him into politics. Just two days before leaving the SAD, he had campaigned with Sukhbir in Gidderbaha. Dimpy said, “I will win. Warring won in 2022 because he had the support of the government. This time, cabinet ministers will campaign for me and the residents will vote in my favour.”

Voters trust me

I will win. Warring won in 2022 because he had the support of the government. This time, cabinet ministers will campaign for me and the residents will vote in my favour. — Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon