Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh/Sri Muktsar Sahib, August 28-
SAD (Badal) suffered a major setback on Wednesday as Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, a veteran Akali leader and close aide of Sukhbir Badal, joined the AAP. Dimpy Dhillon’s move is expected to give a significant boost to AAP in the upcoming Gidderbaha assembly by-election.
CM Bhagwant Mann formally inducted Dimpy Dhillon into the party during a public meeting in Gidderbaha, where he also welcomed him officially. Alongside Dimpy Dhillon, hundreds of Akali leaders and workers who support him also joined AAP. Dimpy Dhillon had contested the assembly elections from Gidderbaha on an Akali Dal ticket in both 2017 and 2022. In 2022, he narrowly lost to Congress candidate Raja Warring by just 1,350 votes.
Mann stated that Dimpy Dhillon did not leave the Akali Dal; rather, the party left him. When good ideas and valuable individuals are not given importance within the party, people are forced to leave. He emphasized that all individuals working for Punjab are welcomed into the AAP.
Mann also attacked Manpreet Badal, saying that despite joining his party with the intention of bringing change to Punjab, Manpreet Badal abruptly disbanded his party and joined Congress.