CHANDIGARH, Punjab—While they aim to form the next government in Punjab in 2017, the three founders of the newly launched political outfit, Punjab Lok Lehar, will not contest the elections. Former Punjab DGP (prisons) Shashi Kant, former IAS officer Gurtej Singh and retired head of the history department, Punjab University, Gurdarshan Singh had announced the formation of the new party on Sunday.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a scholar but all those who made him PM are scholars. Scholars do not win elections in India. So we will present faces and work for them so that they can win the elections to change the fate of Punjab in 2017,” said Gurtej Singh, who had resigned as an IAS officer in 1984 after Operation Blue Star.
All thee founder members are known to have sympathies for the Sikh militancy movement. Gurtej Singh, however, said: “Khalistan is not the issue. The real issue is Punjab’s right on its waters, soil and air. Our resources have been exploited at the expense of the state’s people. There was need to form the party as all established parties including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) failed to address issues that really concern Punjab and its people”.
He added that the new outfit will not go the AAP way. “We will not allow a one man show like in AAP in our party. Here nobody will be supreme. All the decision will be taken on consensus,” Gurtej said.
On a possible alliance with AAP rebels, he said: “We had written about Punjab’s issues to Kejriwal but he did not reply. Now the rebels have approached us. We have given them the same letter. If they agree, we can form an alliance with them.”
