SAD chief urges colleague to heed call of 'panth'; give up candidacy for Sangrur bypoll

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday urged his party’s Amritsar president Simranjit Singh Mann to support the proposal to field a candidate from among the family members of Sikh prisoners for the bypoll to Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.

Badal met Mann in the evening and was accompanied by party leaders Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Prem Singh Chandumajra, and SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami.

During the meeting, Badal and the rest urged Mann to honour an appeal of the Akal Takh Jathedar for fielding a consensus candidate from among the family members of 'Bandi Singhs' (sikh prisoners) for the by-election.

They said the move will help secure the release of all Sikh prisoners languishing in different jails across the country. Mann has already declared himself as candidate for the bypoll to Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.

The seat fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann contested and won from Dhuri assembly segment in the 2022 assembly elections.

Mann, who at present is the Punjab Chief Minister, had won from Sangrur parliamentary seat in 2014 and 2019.

Polling for the seat will be held on June 23 while counting will take place on June 26.

The last date for filing nominations is June 6. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Dhami said that Mann has assured them that he would place the matter before senior colleagues from his party.

Dhamis said that Mann said he will positively consider the proposal for a common 'panthic' candidate “to carry forward the same fight for achieving the goal of securing release of Sikh prisoners languishing in jails well beyond the expiry of their respective jail terms.” Badal emphasised the need to respond to the call of several 'panthic' (Sikh and religious) bodies.

A joint-committee formed by the SGPC had earlier said that it would take up the matter of the release of Sikh prisoners with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.