United Akali Dal says will contest Punjab polls, fields candidates on 10 seats

AMRITSAR: Hardliner Sikh political body United Akali Dal (UAD) has announced to shed its pro-Khalistan agenda and contest Punjab assembly elections on its symbol on 10 assembly seats. It would also forge alliances with other political parties for other seats. “Khalistan is not our agenda, we will contest elections on prevailing issues concerning Punjab, and the government’s failure on incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib,” UAD president Mohkam Singh told TOI on Monday.
He said they had announced their candidates on seven seats so far including: Majitha assembly constituency where UAD candidate Paramjit Singh Jejeani would contest against Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Congress candidate Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lali Majithia and Himmat Singh Shergill of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
UAD chief said that they were contemplating forging alliance with other political parties not to contest on other assembly seats. “We may have alliance with AAP or some other political parties working sincerely for the welfare of Punjab,” he said.
Stating that none of the UAD leader would take up the issue of Khalistan during their election campaign, he said, “Our issues are protecting Punjab’s river waters, bringing perpetrators of incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib to books, and eradicating drugs and unemployment.”
However, he said they were yet to get a poll symbol from the Election Commission. “Ours is a new party and we have applied for the election symbol from EC,” he said.
Notably, UAD had played a role in holding informal ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (grand assembly of Sikhs) at Chabba village near Amritsar on November 10, 2015, where in the leaders had openly advocated for separate Sikh state of Khalistan.
Mohkam said UAD leaders were in touch with like-minded parties and hope that they would contest in alliance with other political parties on majority of seats in Punjab.