Won't contest Lok Sabha polls: SAD chief Sukhbir Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that he will not fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Badal said this after holding a day-long meeting with the party leaders, district party presidents and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members here to discuss candidates for the parliamentary seats of the state.

When asked whether he will fight the parliamentary elections, Badal, who is the MP from Ferozepur seat, said, "I am not fighting the elections." Replying to another question, he said that consultation on the names of probable candidates was underway.

After the completion of the consultation process, the names of candidates will be announced, he said.

"We held the meeting for six parliamentary seats here in which district president, 'halqa' incharges, SGPC members were called and their views were taken," he replied to another question.

The names of former ministers Anil Joshi, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu are doing the rounds from Amritsar, Sangrur and Jalandhar (reserve) seats respectively, said party sources.

Last month, the BJP had announced that it would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on its own in Punjab, indicating an end to the negotiations for re-stitching an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.

At that time, Badal had said that principles are more important for his party "than the number game".

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had walked out of the BJP-led NDA in September 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. The two parties had formed an alliance in 1996. In 2019, the SAD and the BJP won two Lok Sabha seats each in Punjab.

Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place on June 1.