AAP’s Gurdeep Batth likely to join Akali Dal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rebel Gurdeep Singh Batth, who had “dented” his former party’s prospects in the Barnala bypoll last year, is all set to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

His move comes at a time when the SAD secured the runner-up position in the recently held Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll, outperforming both the Congress and the BJP.

Batth, 42, a former Barnala district president of AAP, resigned as the chairman of the District Planning Committee before the Barnala bypoll, contested as an Independent and polled 16,899 votes, enough to push AAP to second position.

Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhillon ‘Kala’ had won with 28,254 votes, followed by AAP’s Harinder Singh Dhaliwal at 26,097 while BJP’s Kewal Singh Dhillon stood third with 17,958 votes. Political observers say Batth’s move comes at a time when the Tarn Taran bypoll result has boosted morale.

The SAD had boycotted all four bypolls held in Barnala, Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal held in November last year as the highest temporal seat of Sikhs — Akal Takht — had forbidden party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to participate in the bypoll. Sources said Batth’s induction is “almost final”, and that talks were simultaneously on with a former MLA from a neighbouring district, who has links in national politics, with both likely to join together.

When contacted, Batth neither confirmed nor denied his plans. “Before joining politics, I taught as a professor in an engineering college in Moga. I served AAP as district president for nearly seven years. However, I can neither admit nor deny the probability of joining the SAD,” he said.

Currently, Kulwant Singh Keetu, son of ex-MLA Malkit Singh Keetu, is the SAD’s Barnala constituency in-charge. SAD’s Barnala district president Yadwinder Singh Bittu Diwana said, “Anyone who speaks in favour of the Akali Dal is welcome. Whatever role the party assigns to a new entrant, we will support it fully.”

Meanwhile, the former MLA from the neighbouring district said he always favoured a SAD-BJP alliance but declined to comment on whether he was joining the party.