CHANDIGARH: Jailed Khadoor Sahib MP and Sikh hardliner Amritpal Singh’s party Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) on August 10 named Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh, who was convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and subsequently hanged to death as its first candidate for the Punjab assembly polls 2027 due early next year.
Announcing Satwant Singh’s candidature, Tarsem Singh said the decision reflected Akali Dal Waris Punjab De’s commitment to honouring families that had made sacrifices for the Panth and Punjab.
A resident of Mustafabad village in Bassi Pathana, Satwant is a retired bank official.
The announcement was made by Tarsem Singh, father of jailed MP Amritpal Singh and Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa.
Indira was assassinated by her two bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh on October 31, 1984, to avenge Operation Bluestar. Kehar Singh was regarded as the mastermind of the assassination plot and hanged to death along with Satwant Singh in Tihar jail on January 6, 1989.
In 2024 Lok Sabha poll, Khalsa, Beant’s son, won the Faridkot seat as an independent while Amritpal Singh, founder of Akali Dal (WPD), romped home from Khadoor Sahib constituency signalling a resurgence of radical Panthic sentiment in Punjab politics. In the 2024 polls, Satwant had campaigned for Khalsa.
Tarsem said the agenda of the party is not limited to seeking political power, but was focused on Panthic principles, Punjab’s rights and recognising the contribution and dignity of families associated with sacrifices for the community.
“Respect for the families of ‘martyrs’ cannot be limited to statements only. They should also be given due place in the party’s organisational responsibilities,” said Tarsem Singh.
Several members of Kehar Singh family were also present at the conference, including his elder son Rajinder Singh and grandson Puru Raj Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Agwan, P. Singh, and Amarjit Singh Vanchhari.
Meanwhile, Dakha MLA and senior leader of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) Manpreet Singh Ayali also stated that jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh will contest the upcoming Punjab assembly elections since he was their “CM face.”
Amritpal Singh is lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail where he was initially detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following his arrest in April 2023. Following the expiry of his initial NSA detention periods, he faces further legal proceedings and re-arrests connected to multiple criminal cases, including the 2023 Ajnala police station incident.
Amritpal won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib. Punjab.
