CHANDIGARH, Oct 7: In Punjab, the pro-Khalistan outfit Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), associated with detained MP Amritpal Singh, has announced its candidate for the upcoming Tarn Taran Assembly by-election. Mandeep Singh, brother of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, who is currently in jail in connection with the murder of Hindu leader Sudhir Suri, has been fielded as the party’s nominee.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Tarsem Singh, father of Amritpal Singh, during a ceremony where he honoured Mandeep Singh with a traditional siropa (robe of honour). Voting for the Tarn Taran bypoll will take place on November 11, while counting is scheduled for November 14.
According to Tarsem Singh, the decision to nominate Mandeep Singh was taken collectively by the Sangat (community). He said the campaign will focus on key issues such as the rise in gangster activities, gun violence, and the drug menace in Punjab. Tarsem Singh emphasized that their main contest will be directly against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Mandeep Singh, speaking after his nomination, said party supporters had long urged that his brother Sandeep contest the election. However, since Sandeep is in jail, he declined, saying he could not serve society from behind bars, leading the group to put forward Mandeep instead.
The event was also attended by Sarbjit Singh Khalsa, the MP from Faridkot. Khalsa noted that in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Amritpal Singh had secured around 45,000 votes in the Tarn Taran region and claimed that this time Mandeep Singh could win by an even larger margin.
This will be Mandeep Singh’s first election, and he does not have a criminal record.
Notably, Sudhir Suri, a prominent Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader, was shot dead in broad daylight on November 4, 2022, outside the Gopal Mandir in Amritsar. The accused, Sandeep Singh, who ran a clothing shop near the temple, allegedly fired multiple rounds at Suri while he was leading a protest against the temple management and government authorities.
(UNI)
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