Chandigarh: Punjab, governed by the Aam Aadmi Party under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is heading into an Assembly election scheduled for February next year.
In a move that has sparked fresh political debate, the state party Akali Dal Waris De announced Satwant Singh as its candidate from the Bassi Pathana constituency. Satwant Singh is the son of Kehar Singh, who was convicted in the conspiracy linked to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination and was later executed.
The party is described as supportive of the Khalistan separatist cause. It says it gives electoral priority to heirs of families it views as having made sacrifices for Sikh faith and Punjab’s rights, and has extended that approach by allotting the Bassi Pathana seat to Satwant Singh.
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies are examining how supporters of the Khalistan movement entered India. With Punjab having moved from a past marked by militancy to relative calm, there is now concern that the upcoming election could disturb the state’s peace.
