Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema stakes claim to Anandpur Sahib seat

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Ropar, February 19

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Cabinet minister Daljit Cheema has staked claim to party ticket from the Anandpur Sahib constituency in the coming parliamentary elections.

Cheema said he had been active politically in this area for the last 15 years and would assert his claim on the ticket for Lok Sabha elections this time.

SAD had fielded Prem Singh Chandumajra from this seat in 2014 and 2019 elections. Chandumajra, who was appointed as parliamentary in-charge of the constituency by party president Sukhbir Badal in September last had won the seat in 2014 but lost to Congress candidate Manish Tiwari last time.

Cheema, a core committee member of the party, has been associated with the party for the last 30 years. Before he was elected as an MLA from Ropar in 2012 and took over subsequently as Cabinet minister, the party had fielded him from Anandpur Sahib in 2009 when he lost to Congress candidate Ravneet Bittu. In 2017 and 2022 also, he contested from the Ropar Assembly constituency unsuccessfully.

Cheema said he would assert his claim from Anandpur Sahib whenever a party meeting would be held. It was up to the party high command to take a final decision, he added.

Cheema’s supporters claimed that Chandumajra should contest from Patiala this time as the latter had been active for the last 10 years in that area. They said while his son Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra had won from Sanaur in 2017, he himself contested election from Ghanaur in 2022 Assembly elections. Chandumajra said the party was yet to decide over the ticket. He would follow the directions issued by the party high command, he added.