Former BJP MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu quits AAP, joins SAD

Former CPS and two-time MLA from Ferozepur Urban, Sukhpal Singh Nannu — who had earlier left the BJP to join AAP — today again quit his newly adopted party and joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during a political rally held in Tarn Taran. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal personally inducted Nannu into the party fold. Sukhbir termed Nannu’s induction as a “major setback” for the ruling AAP regime on his social media account.

Following denial of ticket from Ferozepur Urban in 2022 Assembly polls, Nannu had joined AAP on May 21 last year, when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had inducted him in the party. However, after joining AAP, he was not active in local party activities and was rarely seen at any event.

Speaking to The Tribune, Nannu said he had high hopes from AAP, but all of them were dashed in no time. “I had a lot of experience, yet I was given no responsibility by the party — neither at the local level nor at the state level. I was never invited to any local AAP event, nor was I ever informed of one,” he said, expressing his disillusionment with AAP. He added, “They say one thing, and do another.” Nannu further said that during the recent floods, he independently helped people in his constituency in their hour of crisis.

“Moreover, during the floods that ravaged the area, SAD president Sukhbir Badal did outstanding work. He went to the people in distress, listened to their problems, and tried to solve them — as a leader should. I am also the kind of person who would love to go to people and listen to their grievances. So, I thought of joining SAD,” said Nannu, adding that his relationship with SAD is not new.

“When I was a BJP MLA, senior Badal Saab used to come to my house often. He used to treat me like his own son and Sukhbir Badal also treated me as his brother,” he said, adding that SAD is “Punjab’s own party” and not being run from Delhi.

Last year, having been sidelined by the BJP, Nannu left the party and joined AAP. He had earlier resigned from the BJP in 2022 after being denied a ticket for the Assembly polls; however, following intervention by senior party leaders, he changed his mind and stayed.

Nannu won from the constituency twice as a BJP candidate in 2002 and 2007, but lost the subsequent two polls in 2012 and 2017, which he attributed to backstabbing by some senior BJP leaders.

His father, Girdhara Singh, had also won from this constituency three times (1967, 1977, and 1997). Notably, in 1967, Girdhara Singh won the election as a Congress candidate, but later he switched from Congress to the Bharatiya Jan Sangh about five decades ago, in the presence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He then won as a BJP candidate in 1977 and again in 1997.