The Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Bikram Singh Majithia accepted the challenge offered by Navjot Singh Sidhu in the Amritsar East assembly segment, making it one of the most high-profile electoral contests in the Punjab elections. Majithia had been taunted by the Punjab Congress chairman to leave his own turf and run alone from Amritsar East. Majithia held a news conference on Tuesday to announce his candidacy. Ganieve Kaur, his wife, will now run for Majitha.
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Majithia had previously run for the SAD in two seats: Amritsar East and Majitha. Majithia has been challenged by Sidhu, who is also running for Amritsar East, to abandon his stronghold and run in the elections from there. Amritsar East is regarded as the Congress leader’s stronghold.
Since 2007, the SAD leader has served as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Majithia, where he has spent three terms.
When the SAD was in power in Punjab and Sidhu’s wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was an MLA from Amritsar East, Sidhu and Majithia were previously seen as close, but they had a falling out. Since then, the two have not only exchanged venomous words but have also frequently battled in the Punjab Assembly. Sidhu has been advocating for Majithia’s arrest in the drug trafficking case.
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Majithia, who Akalis refer to as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’ (general of the Majha region), could be arrested in a drug case. In light of the upcoming elections, the Supreme Court ordered Punjab Police not to arrest him till February 23.
