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Rumblings among Sikh leaders over AAP tickets

Hari Nagar MLA Jagdeep Singh, who defeated BJP’s Avtar Singh by over 26,000 votes in 2015, has been replaced by Rajkumari Dhillon, a former Congress councillor.

Rumblings among Sikh leaders over AAP tickets Party should have taken me into confidence: Avtar Singh

Aam Aadmi Party’s decision to bring in 14 new faces to replace sitting MLAs has evoked a strong response from some Sikh leaders in its ranks. In 2015, AAP fielded Sikh candidates from Hari Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Kalkaji and Tilak Nagar. All four won and the party saw gains in areas where the community has a sizeable presence — Shahdara, Janakpuri and Jangpura. The party has new faces in three of these seats this time.

Hari Nagar MLA Jagdeep Singh, who defeated BJP’s Avtar Singh by over 26,000 votes in 2015, has been replaced by Rajkumari Dhillon, a former Congress councillor. Singh has now decided to quit the party. “Yes, I am quitting the party. I might join another party and will decide tomorrow. Many people have approached me,” he said.

“AAP has given tickets only to two Sikh leaders this time — Jarnail Singh from Tilak Nagar and Parlad Singh Sawhney from Chandni Chowk. Kejriwal said Rajkumari Dhillon is Sikh, but she is not,” said Singh.

Dhillon could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

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Sources said Avtar Singh Kalka, who was replaced by Atishi in Kalkaji, has also sought an explanation from the party about his exclusion. “He is a popular leader in the area and the seat has been a traditional Sikh stronghold for several years. Many parties have approached him and he will take a final call soon,” said a source.

When contacted, he said: “If the party had taken me into confidence, we would not have been in a situation where people in the constituency are chanting slogans of ‘Atishi go back’. You brought a leader who lost Lok Sabha polls and planted her in an area where everyone knows and respects me. We all respect Atishi ji. The party leaders have damaged her image by making this decision. Along with this, you have shown that the party has developed an anti-Sikh outlook.”

Festive offer

Former Rajouri Garden MLA Jarnail Singh, who resigned from the Delhi Assembly to contest polls in Punjab in 2017, also said the party failed to give proper representation of Sikhs this time around. “Last time, the party gave tickets to four Sikh candidates and got immense support from people. There is anger among the community this time since representation has been cut down. The party has not spoken to me about anything, and I do not run after anything,” he said.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was closely involved in candidate selection, told The Indian Express that the party is making efforts to pacify all those who did not get a ticket this time. “When we contested in Punjab, we were told we made a mistake by giving more seats to Sikhs as compared to Hindus. Here the case is the opposite. We have looked at several factors while distributing tickets. We want people to look at our policies and plans… I am in touch with those who have not got tickets and am trying to give them other responsibilities,” Singh said.

First uploaded on: 18-01-2020 at 03:53 IST
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