Family of former SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra joins AAP

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) in Punjab today got shot in the arm when the entire family of former SGPC President and Akali Dal stalwart late Gurcharan Singh Tohra led by his daughter Kuldip Kaur and son-in-law joined AAP in the presence of senior party leaders. Harmel Singh Tohra was member of Political Affairs Committee(PAC) of Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD).
Sanjay Singh national general secretary and incharge of Punjab state, Bhagwant Singh Mann Member Parliament, Kanwar Sandhu head of Punjab Dialogue team and other leaders welcomed the Tohra family into fold of AAP.
Tohra family was refused party ticket by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal for not having enough money to contest election. Tohra family has its infleuence over Hindu, Muslim and Singh voters in districts of Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Barnala and Ludhiana. The wife and daughter of another Akali Dal stalwart Captain Kanwaljit Simgh had already joined AAP. Sukhbir Badal had eliminated both the Akali families from the SAD in systematic way.
Harmel Singh Tohra who was minister in the previous SAD government said, he has resigned from Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and primary membership of SAD. Harinder Pal Singh Tohra son of Harmel Singh Tohra and other relatives have also joined the AAP.
In the 2012 assembly election SAD had fielded Kuldip Kaur from Samana constituency but also ensured her defeat by fielding a rebel candiate Satbir SinghKhatra close to Sukhbir Singh Badal. Khatra has last month replaced Kuldip Kaur as incharge of Samana constituency.
Tohra remained President of SGPC for 27 years and his writ prevailed in SAD for over three decades. He was humiliated by Badal family and expelled from party after he raised the demand to appoint an acting president of SAD. He formed Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal and fielded candidates in 2002 assembly election which led to defeat of SAD. He later joined SAD on the request of Badal and was re-appointed SGPC president. He died on April 1,2004.