July 3, 2024 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Chandigarh: Following the electoral victory of Amritpal Singh in the Lok Sabha election from the Khadoor Sahib constituency while incarcerated in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), there has been a surge in announcements of candidacies by Sikh detainees for the upcoming Punjab Assembly bypolls. Notably, all these detainees have been detained under the National Security Act or as undertrials since last year (2023).
The first announcement came on June 25 from the son of Bhagwant Singh, alias Pardhan Mantri Bajeke, stating that his father will contest the bypoll from the Giddarbaha constituency.
Subsequently, family members of NSA detainees Kulwant Singh Rauke and Daljeet Singh Kalsi declared seperately that Kulwant Singh Rauke and Daljit Singh Kalsi would contest by-polls for the Barnala and Dera Baba Nanak seats, respectively.
While Amritpal Singh’s family has remained silent on these developments, his implied political adviser, Advo. Rajdev Singh Khalsa, claimed that Amritpal has not yet decided whether to participate in the by-elections. He said that these announcements had nothing to do with Amritpal Singh.
Reports suggest internal differences among the NSA detainees at Dibrugarh jail, with some maintaining close ties to Amritpal Singh and others diverging. Notably there are 10 Sikh detainees under the NSA at Dibrugarh jail, including Amritpal Singh and his uncle.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Singh Sunny, currently on trial in the Sudhir Suri case and lodged in Patiala jail, has also announced his candidacy for the Dera Baba Nanak bypoll.
Notably, five assembly seats in Punjab are set to undergo by-elections: Jalandhar West, Giddarbaha, Barnala, Dera Baba Nanak, and Chabbewal. While the bypoll for Jalandhar West has already been declared, the announcement of the polling schedule for the remaining seats is still awaited.
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Related Topics: Amritpal Singh, Bhagwant Singh alias Pardhan Mantri Bajeke, Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Kulwant Singh Rauke, National Security Act (NSA), Punjab Assembly Elections 2024, Sandeep Singh Sunny, Waris Punjab De