Even before it enters a full-fledged campaign mode, the new political front launched by farmers in Punjab seems to be making headlines for the wrong reasons.
After the Election Commission sought clarification before registering the Samyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM) as a political party, it has now courted controversy by fielding controversial gangster-turned-social activist Lakhwinder Singh alias. Lakha Sidhana, who was arrested by the Delhi Police on January 26 for his alleged involvement in the violence during the anti-agriculture law movement.
The 40-year-old will contest from Maur in Punjab’s Bathinda district on an SSM ticket. Although he has said that he was not involved in the Republic Day violence, the Delhi Police claims that there is a strong case against him. Earlier, Sidhana had contested the 2012 assembly elections through the Manpreet Badal-led People’s Party of Punjab.
Despite his criminal background, including a case registered under the Arms Act in 2001 in which he was convicted, several cases are pending against him. Sidhana will fight this election from a front which had once distanced itself from him due to his actions and involvement in violence. The farmer leaders also claimed that they had defamed the movement.
He had been underground but continued to address his supporters through Facebook and had attended a rally in Patiala last year.
SSM and farmer leaders justifying the decision to give them tickets Balbir Singh Rajewali Said, “There was a demand from within the SSM members that they should be given tickets.”
Rajewal said that he was popular in his area and was also known for the social work being done in Bathinda district. He said that the differences between the body of the farmers and that of Sidhana have been removed.
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