Sidhu, Bains brothers skip Gandhi's meet

Chandigarh: Even as more political outfits joined the front spearheaded by AAP's suspended MP from Patiala Dharamvira Gandhi, he insisted that there were still no plans to turn it into a political party. Even as representatives of former AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and former SAD MLA Pargat Singh attended a round-table meeting called by Gandhi, other members of the 'fourth front' - Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bains brothers - stayed away.
Gandhi said the round table was a second attempt at floating a regional front to fulfil the local aspirations of people of Punjab and there was consensus among the participants that there was need for such a platform. The members of the front, he added, will contest the upcoming elections. "Three Dalit organizations, including Bharatiya Shoshit Samaj Sangathan, have extended support. There are plans to make the members of the front contest elections and Chhotepur can join the front even if he forms a new party," he said.
However, he added, "Pargat Singh came in his personal capacity, Sidhu was not available and Bains brothers - Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains - were invited but did not turn up." Sources added that Pargat Singh left for Delhi after speaking at the round table and there were speculations that he could also be working on the roadmap of the front Awaz-e-Punjab announced by him, Sidhu and Bains brothers recently.
Swaraj Abhiyan's Manjit Singh, who too was earlier with AAP, said the members of the front will contest polls but Gandhi and he were not keen to fight. Gandhi said he was not the convener of the front and will have no role in selection of candidates. "We have a long term vision that goes beyond 2017," he said.