SAD councillor to contest as Independent

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, January 1

Irked over the allotment of SAD ticket from Malout assembly constituency to Bathinda Rural MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta, sitting councillor of the SAD from Ward 26 Rajinder Ghagga today announced to contest the election as an Independent.

Talking to The Tribune, Ghagga said, “I am against the party's decision of fielding an outsider from this constituency. I am associated with the party since last over 20 years when Sukhbir had contested his first electio. I also demanded the ticket from here, but the party did not entertain my request. Now, my supporters have asked me to contest the election. I will start my election campaign from January 8.”

Ghagga (39), who had become a councillor with a margin of about 800 votes, said he had lodged a protest before SAD’s Muktsar district coordinator Avtar Singh Vanwala a few days ago, before taking this decision.

On the other hand, Kotfatta claimed that he was not an outsider as there was not much distance between Malout and Bathinda.

Earlier, Harpreet Singh Kotbhai has twice become the MLA from Malout, who is also a sitting MLA, but the SAD this time shifted him to Bhucho Mandi.