Former SAD MLA Ranjit Talwandi joins Dhindsa's faction

Talwandi, who is son of ex-SAD chief Jagdev Singh Talwandi, joined the faction in the presence of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa at Mohali here. Addressing the media here, Talwandi slammed Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, accusing him of trying to "run the party like a corporate".

Former SAD legislator Ranjit Singh Talwandi on Thursday joined the splinter Akali group led by Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa here. Talwandi, who is son of ex-SAD chief Jagdev Singh Talwandi, joined the faction in the presence of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa at Mohali here.

Addressing the media here, Talwandi slammed Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, accusing him of trying to "run the party like a corporate". "Sukhbir has no experience, he has no vision. He is a businessman. SAD is a party of martyrs and he tried to run it like a corporate," Talwandi alleged.

He claimed that several Taksali leaders (old guard) had stepped back as they were upset over the party's functioning by Sukhbir Badal. Dhindsa welcomed Talwandi and his supporters. He said Talwandi's sister Harjeet Kaur has already been supporting them.

"Every day people are joining us and we are getting calls from people in each district for their support," Dhindsa said. Earlier this month, a faction of dissident Akali leaders had "elected" Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa as the SAD president in Ludhiana.

This move was dubbed as "illegal and fraud" by the Shiromani Akali Dal. At present, Sukhbir Singh Badal is the president of SAD. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, along with his son and former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, had been expelled from SAD in February this year allegedly for "anti-party" activities.

Dhindsa had rebelled against the party leadership, especially its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a bid to "liberate" the SAD from the Badal family and "revive its lost glory"..

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