Dera Ballan leader to join SAD today

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 23

Dera Sachkhand Ballan ideologue and PPCC general secretary Seth Satpal Mal will join the Shiromani Akali Dal tomorrow.

Confirming the development, Satpal Mal said he was disillusioned with the Congress. “The party has suffered under Capt Amarinder Singh’s leadership. No one listens to us in the Congress. I am joining the SAD unconditionally,” he added.

Satpal Mal, a close aide of dera chief Sant Niranjan Dass, said preparations were on for Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s visit to his residence. The dera followers include a sizeable chunk of members of the Ravidassia community – which accounts for one-third of the state’s Dalit population. Sukhbir had inducted Kabir Dass, a dera point person, into the Akali fold recently.