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Akali factionalism galore:
Barnala group to revive Longowal party
WSN Network
SANGRUR: After
years of strained relations and innumerable tactical moves to harm
each other, typical of faction workings inside the ruling Akali Dal,
the Barnala group has now decided to make the final move and has
announced that it will revive the defunct Shiromani Akali Dal
(Longowal).
The formal move
will be made on the death anniversary of Longowal in his native
village on August 20.
Surjit Kaur
Barnala, wife of Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, on Monday
made this claim after revolting against Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and claiming that the SAD had slipped into the
hands of a few families. "The party which Sant Harchand Singh
Longowal founded will be revived at village Longowal on August 20,"
she told a gathering of Barnala supporters at Sunam.
The revamp of
the SAD (Longowal) was expected after the expulsion of
Barnala-faction lieutenant Baldev Singh Mann and former MLA Gaganjit
Singh Barnala soon after the Lok Sabha elections on accusation of
plotting against Dhindsa.
Surjit Kaur said
Badal and Dhindsa had tested the tolerance of Barnala loyalists by
showing them disrespect in the organisation. She urged Barnala
supporters to participate in the Dharam Yudh Morcha on the death
anniversary of Longowal. She accused the Badal-Dhindsa combine of
shrinking the SAD mass base in districts Sangrur and Barnala, where
the party had lost eight of the 10 seats in the last Assembly
elections.
Baldev Singh
Mann alleged the Badal-Dhindsa combine had betrayed Barnala
supporters in the Assembly elections by merging the SAD (Longowal)
into its group and plotting his defeat in the Dirba constituency.
He alleged
Congress nominee Surjit Singh Dhiman had claimed openly that he had
won the Dirba seat with the support of Dhindsa.
Just before the
Assembly elections in 2007, the SAD (Longowal) led by Prem Singh
Chandumajra had merged into the SAD with Mann as general secretary.
Mann now claims Chandumajra has left him in the lurch.
29
July 2009
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