Aam Aadmi Party, today, announced that Delhi legislator Jarnail Singh would fight the upcoming elections against Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal Supremo Prakash Singh Badal from the Lambi constituency. Jarnail Singh is a former journalist who joined AAP before general elections in 2014. Singh had thrown a shoe at then home minister P Chidambaram over anti-Sikh riot issue.
Speaking at a rally in Lambi, AAP’s national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made this announcement. AAP has fielded its MP Bhagwant Mann from the Jalalabad against Deputy Chief Minister and Bawal scion Sukhbir Badal.
Kejriwal has accused Congress and SAD of systematically looting the state of Punjab and promised to give a clean governance if elected to power.
Here are five things you need to know about Jarnail Singh
- Singh is 43 years old and started his career with Amar Ujala
- He worked with Dainik Jagran for over a decade
- Singh was arrested and then released after he threw a shoe at then home minister P Chidambaram over Congress’ role in anti-Sikh riots
- He fought the 2014 general elections from West Delhi constituency but lost
- In 2015, he became an AAP legislator from Rajouri Garden
Singh challenged the Punjab CM to come forward for public debate. “Thousands of farmers have committed suicide, youngsters are dying due to drugs…transport, liquor and cable businesses have been captured by the Badal family…is this the model of development the Badals are boasting of,” he said at the rally.
SAD has still not commented on Singh’s challenge. Badals are facing its strongest fight in a decade this time around. The Punjab elections this time around will be a triangular fight between the ruling SAD-BJP combine with the Congress on hand and the AAP on the other hand.
