Ahead of Lok Sabha bypolls, AAP’s Shiv Dyal Mali, Cong’s Seth Satpal Mall join BJP in Jalandhar
Aparna Banerji
Jalandhar, February 20
AAP leader Dr Shiv Dyal Mali and Dera Sachkhand Ballan ideologue and Congress leader Seth Satpal Mall joined the BJP in Jalandhar today in the presence of Union Cabinet Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Speeding up its activities ahead of the Lok Sabha bypolls in Jalandhar, the BJP today hosted a slew of joinings of leaders from other political parties into its fold. The joinings were facilitated by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the presence of the senior party leadership of the state.
Shekhwat’s visit comes days after the BJP’s Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal’s day-long tour to Jalandhar city.
Jalandhar being a reserved Lok Sabha seat, with Seth Satpal Mall’s joining, the BJP is set to rake the benefits of his proximity with Dera Sachkhand Ballan and influence among the Ravidassia Community in Jalandhar. However, the veteran leader and influential leather trader of Jalandhar has switched various sides earlier.
While Seth Satpal Mall quit the Congress to join the SAD in 2016 and also contested elections on the Kartarpur seat, he joined the Congress back in December 2021 in the presence of former CM Charanjit Singh Channi. Ahead of the Jalandhar bypolls, the influential seat of Ravidassia community Dera Sachkhand Ballan remains the most frequently visited religious dera in the region by leaders of all parties.
Dr Shiv Dyal Mali, the former district president of AAP, was the face of the volunteer rebellion witnessed by the party in Jalandhar ahead of the 2022 Legislative Assembly elections. During a press conference hosted by Delhi AAP spokesperon Raghav Chadha, he along with a breakaway faction of veteran party volunteers, had opposed ‘faulty’ ticket disbursals to candidates including then Jalandhar West candidate (present MLA from the seat) Sheetal Angural.
The breakaway faction of leaders had later tendered their resignations in January 2022. A former SMO, Mali also remained the AAP’s SC Wing vice president.
Among others who joined the BJP today included Congress leaders Rajiv Duggal and Manoj Aggarwal, former councillor Major Singh and a host of other leaders from across Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal.
Answering queries on AAP preparing a list of joinees from other parties ahead of the upcoming election, Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat replied, “I have a list of my own (of leaders joining the BJP). I will give it you soon.”
State BJP president Ashwani Sharma, party leaders Manoranjan Kalia, KD Bhandari, Rajesh Bagha, Jaiveer Shergill, district president Sushil Sharma, Sarabjit Makkar among others were present on the occasion.
