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हिन्दी 
In a setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal, two-time MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi joined the Aam Aadmi Party in Chandigarh on Wednesday in the presence of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. With Dr Sukhi’s exit, the SAD has only two MLAs, Manpreet Singh Ayali and Ganieve Majithia, in the 117-member assembly.
Mann welcomed Sukhi into the party fold, saying he has always worked for the welfare of the downtrodden. Senior AAP leader and its national general secretary Sandeep Pathak was also present.
Dr Sukhi, an ENT specialist who runs a hospital on his home turf, first became MLA from the Banga assembly seat in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district in 2017. He was elected again as a legislator in the 2022 assembly elections on the SAD ticket.
Known to be a loyalist of Sukhbir Singh Badal, his exit comes at a time when the SAD president is battling rebellion in the party.
While in the SAD, Dr Sukhi was involved in the top decision-making process and after his victory in 2022, he was inducted into the SAD core committee, the top decision-making body of the party.
“This is a sad move and a big loss for the party and for Dr Sukhi as well. Rest it is part of the political game as people look for opportunities for their personal benefit,” SAD vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema said. He said that the party had reposed faith in Dr Sukhi as he was elected SAD MLA twice besides being the party’s candidate in the 2023 assembly byelection, which he lost.
Cheema said that Dr Sukhi’s decision was a loss for his constituency and supporters. “If opposition MLAs start joining ruling parties then who will raise the people’s voice?” he added.
A section of party leaders have been demanding that Sukhbir step down, the party has witnessed a vertical split, particularly after the SAD expelled top leaders, including its patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
According to another SAD leader, in making Dr Sukhi a candidate in the parliamentary bypoll from Jalandhar, the party would antagonise another leader Pawan Tinu. Tinu objected to the move and quit the party in April. Later, he unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election from Jalandhar constituency as AAP candidate.
Citing reasons behind joining the AAP, Dr Sukhi said that the Punjab CM has given a medical college at Nawanshahr and promptly acted on the issues he had raised in the assembly sessions.
It is to be seen when Sukhi’s membership in the assembly is cancelled as the provisions of anti-defection law have become applicable. In the wake of the cancellation of the membership, the state would witness byelections on five assembly constituencies.
