AMRITSAR SAHIB—Former president of the All India Sikh Students Federation Harminder Singh Gill has been allotted a ticket on Khadur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming elections to be held for the lower house of Indian parliament.
At one time, Harminder Singh Gill was considered an effective young Sikh leader especially during the later stage of the Sikh militant movement in Punjab. He was president of an organization of Sikh students that was very powerful at that time. As Gill was close to Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the then president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Parkash Badal did his best to corner him after Tohra’s death.
Gill reportedly got disgusted over Badal’s attitude, and on being approached by Captain Amrinder Singh, he has announced to join Congress. It was a big political development that a Pro-Khalistan Sikh leader joined hands with the political outfit directly responsible for military attack in June of 1984 at Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, the holiest Sikh shrine, and site of Sikh Genocide in November of 1984.
Due to his Panthik background, Gill was able to defeat his main opponent, Akali candidate Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, the veteran Akali leader, on the constituency which is considered as Panthik constituency. Another plus point for Gill is that Ranjit Singh Brahmpura does not enjoy a popular mood in his home assembly constituency, also in Khadur Sahib, and was defeated by Congress leader Ramanjit Singh Sikki in the last Punjab assembly elections. Although, Gill was defeated by Badal’s son-in-law, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, in the last assembly elections of the Patti constituency considered to be Akali Halqa, the vote margin was very low.
