New Delhi:
Amritpal Singh, who won the Lok Sabha elections while in jail, has formed a new party. This was announced on Tuesday at the Maghi fair in Muktsar. This new party has been named Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). Amritpal, accused of treason, has been made the national president of this party. He is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam. A committee has been formed to run the party. In this conference the party has passed a 15-point proposal. It has been named Sri Muktsar Sahib Declaration. The formation of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is being considered a big step for the politics of Punjab.
Akali politics of Punjab
Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh and independent MP from Faridkot Sarabjit Singh were also present in the program organized at Maghi Mela in Muktsar. This step of Amritpal can prove to be a challenge for Shiromani Akali Dal. It is believed that the Panthak votes angry with Shiromani Akali Dal may move towards Amritpal Singh’s new party. With this there are three Akali Dals in Punjab. Apart from the above two, there is also Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Its leader is Simranjit Singh Mann. Two of them, Mann and Amritpal’s Akali Dal, are supporters of fundamentalist ideology. Whereas Shiromani Akali Dal, which has run the government several times in Punjab, is considered liberal at the level of ideology.
According to the leaders of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), three names were sent to the Election Commission for the party. This name has been approved among them. Leaders say that this is a fight between two ideologies. There is an ideology of Delhi, which is taking the lives of farmers. Delhi’s thinking is harming the sect and Punjab. Delhi’s thinking wants to keep the Sikhs captive.
Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh, independent MP from Faridkot Sarabjit Singh Khalsa (son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh), Amarjeet Singh, Harbhajan Singh Toor and Surjeet Singh have been included in this committee. This committee will look after the functioning of the party until Amritpal Singh is elected its president through regular elections. A seven-member committee has also been formed to run the membership campaign.
From where has Amritpal Singh been elected MP?
Amritpal Singh was elected MP from Khadur Sahib Lok Sabha seat of Punjab in the Lok Sabha elections held last year. He defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh by a margin of 1 lakh 97 thousand 120 votes. Aam Aadmi Party got third place. BJP was at fourth position. In this election, Amritpal got 4 lakh 4 thousand 430 votes.
The popularity of the 100 year old Akali Dal has declined rapidly due to the incidents of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab in 2015 and the granting of amnesty to Ram Rahim. The Panthak vote bank has moved away from the Akali Dal. This is the reason that in the last Lok Sabha elections, Akali Dal was able to win only one Lok Sabha seat in Punjab. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of party leader Sukhbir Badal, had won the election from Banthida.
Who is Amritpal Singh?
Before winning the Lok Sabha elections, Amritpal Singh came into limelight because of his organization named ‘Waris Punjab De’. This organization was founded by Punjabi actor Sandeep Singh alias Deep Sidhu in September 2021. Announcing the establishment of the organization, Deep Sidhu Had said that its objective is to bring the youth on the path of Sikhism and awaken Punjab. He died in a road accident on 15 February 2022 while returning from Delhi. After his death, Amritpal Singh returned to India from Dubai and took over as the head of Waris Punjab De.
Waris Punjab De came into limelight when its supporters attacked Ajnala police station in Amritsar on 22 February 2023. Amritpal was leading this crowd. The crowd was angry with the arrest of Lovepreet Singh, close to Amritpal. Punjab Police arrested him on 23 April 2023 from Rode village of Moga district. After this he was sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Since that time he is locked there. He contested and won the Lok Sabha elections while in jail. Amritpal took oath as Parliamentarian on July 5, 2024 on the orders of the court.
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