Chandigarh (Punjab) : Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh will be in contest from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Punjab. Amritpal Singh had filed the nomination paper, which has been approved. Amritpal Singh's name has been updated on the Election Commission's website. During the scrutiny, the nomination papers of Amritpal Singh have been found to be correct. So, the radical preacher will now be in contest despite being in jail.
Harpal Singh Baler was fielded from Khadoor Sahib by the Shiromani Akali Dal in the past. Baler said if Amritpal's papers are rejected then he will remain in contest and if Amritpal Singh's papers are not rejected then he will withdraw his nomination. Following this, Shiromani Akali Dal has withdrawn the nomination of Harpal Singh Baler.
Earlier, the nomination of pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh was filed in District Returning Officer's office by his relative Sukhchain Singh. Amritpal Singh's lawyer had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to file the nomination, in which Amritpal had asked for 7 days time to file the nomination.
However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court said in its verdict that the entire process of Amritpal's nomination will be handled by the Superintendent of Dibrugarh Jail, Assam, where he is currently imprisoned. A few weeks ago, the Punjab government had rejected Amritpal Singh's request for a seven-day release to contest the ongoing LS poll. Following this, his relatives filed his nomination on his behalf.
In his election affidavit, Amritpal Singh declared his assets, saying that he has a bank balance of Rs 1,000 only and that he does not have any movable or immovable property in his name. With the entry of Amritpal, the contest in Khadoor Sahib has become multi-cornered. Punjab has 13 Lok Sabha seats and all of which will vote in the seventh and final phase on June 1. The radical preacher was detained under the National Security Act, 1980 in April 2023.
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