Round trip: Caught in Akali faction war, by-election candidate changes parties twice in one day | Political Pulse News

Left alone, Kaur joined the AAP on Tuesday morning and was welcomed by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “I am joining the AAP to support a party that works for common people and their development. I will now support the AAP candidate Mohinderpal Bhagat,” she said. But by evening, the 60-year-old had returned to the SAD, saying she was still an “Akali at heart” and had been forced to join the ruling party. She stressed that she would contest the bypoll as a SAD candidate.

AAP president and Budhlada MLA Budh Ram criticised Kaur for “backtracking under pressure” and stressed the importance of firmness in leadership. “I think once a decision is taken, it should be stuck to without succumbing to any pressure,” he said.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema accused the rebel party leaders of putting Kaur in a difficult situation. “These leaders (rebels) should have guided her instead of pushing her into an electoral battle when the SAD had extended support to the BSP. They exploited an innocent woman,” he told The Indian Express. The Jalandhar West bypoll was necessitated because MLA Sheetal Angural left the AAP and joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Kaur’s political journey seems to be rooted in the legacy of her late husband and former municipal councillor Jathedar Preetam Singh. “He was a loyal Akali worker who rallied to the party’s cause and participated in their events and protests. Even senior leaders acknowledged his unwavering dedication (to the party),” she said.

Kaur said her husband, who passed away in 2022, was a dedicated SAD worker even before their marriage. “Oh badde Badal saab de bahut nede cee isse karke Badal saab tin vari sadhe ghar aaye si (He was very close to Badal senior who visited our house thrice in the past),” she said, referring to five-time Punjab chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal.

The Akali Dal candidate said her husband was suffering from a chronic illness and in the early 2000s, her entrepreneurial career ended after she was forced to sell assets worth Rs 35 lakh to cover her husband’s medical expenses. Kaur said she faced financial difficulties after her husband’s death. She currently lives in a rented accommodation in Basti Mithu area of ​​Jalandhar with her son Deep Singh, his wife and their three children. Kaur has declared Rs 50,000 in cash and land worth Rs 7 lakh in her affidavit. “My husband has been doing all kinds of odd jobs to make ends meet. My only income now is the monthly widow’s pension of Rs 1,500 that I get from the government,” she said.

Kaur said she would stand up for marginalised groups and continue her husband’s legacy if elected. “My son is unemployed and takes up any odd job that comes his way to earn a living. My candidature is not just political but a commitment to represent the aspirations and struggles of the electorate of Jalandhar West,” she said.