LUDHIANA: Former MLA and Punjab water resources management and development corporation chairman Jagbir Brar on Monday returned to the SAD after resigning from Congress and his post. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, terming it Brar’s ghar wapsi (home coming), announced him as his party’s candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment and also appointed him party general secretary.
Brar, first cousin of finance minister Manpreet Badal, became an Akali Dal MLA in 2007 from Jalandhar Cantonment. When Manpreet parted ways with SAD to form Peoples Party of Punjab, he had also joined him. Before 2012 elections, he joined Congress and contested as its candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment, but lost to then Akali Dal candidate Pargat Singh.
In 2017, Pargat was the Congress candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment and Brar was shifted to Nakodar, where he lost to Akal Dal’s Gurpartap Singh Wadala. Brar also remained Jalandhar District Congress Committee (Rural) president. Around a year and half ago, he was appointed chairman of the corporation. He said he sent the resignation from his post and party membership on Sunday.
Calls on Bhatia
Sukhbir called on former senior deputy mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia at his residence. Bhatia had registered a strong protest after Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation president Chandan Grewal was declared ‘constituency in-charge’. Badal appointed him vice-president of the party.
Upsets Makkar
Former MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar, who was SAD candidate from Jalandhar Cantt in 2017, had organised a separate meeting and conveyed to his supporters that Sukhbir would be coming there also. In the meeting, he said he would be the party candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment. When Sukhbir announced Brar’s candidature, Makkar’s supporters said the move had caused resentment among workers in the constituency and the party would face adverse consequences. “Local leaders and workers appeal to Sukhbir to reconsider and announce Makkar as nominee,” they said.
