Chandigarh: Radical Sikh preacher and the head of the “Waris Punjab De” (WPD) outfit, Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in the Dibrugarh jail in Assam under National Security Act (NSA) filed his nomination from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency of Punjab, on Friday.
It may be recalled that the pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh has, along with his nine other WPD members, been jailed in Assam since March 2023 after they were arrested under NSA from different parts of Punjab following a crackdown on the WPD.
Police was on a hunt to nab him and his aides since February that year (2023) after they had stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar demanding release of one of his aides booked in a case of assault and abduction, besides several other charges against Amritpal and his aides.
Amritpal Singh had on Thursday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court here seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to temporarily release him for seven days in accordance with the NSA provisions to enable him to file his nominations before the returning officer.
However, the high court on Friday disposed of his plea as infructuous after the Punjab government informed it that the state had facilitated the process. According to media reports, his papers were filed by the WPD lawyer Harjot Singh and his relatives on his behalf.
The pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh would now face Congress’ Kulbir Singh Zira, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) Laljit Singh Bhullar, BJP’s Manjit Singh Manna Mianwind and Shirom. Akali Dal’s (SAD’s) Virsa Singh Valtoha.
For record, the nominations could be filed in Punjab till May 14, while the scrutiny of papers would take place on May 15 and the last date of withdrawing nominations would be May 17. Punjab goes to poll in the last of the seven-phase election on June 1.
