In a significant development that may have an impact on the Akali politics in Jagraon area, an old Akali family with over nine decades of association with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today joined the Congress at Hansi Kallan village near here in the presence of senior party leaders, including the national spokesperson of the AICC, Manish Tewari, MLAs Darshan Singh Brar, Isher Singh and Gurdeep Singh Bhaini and former Dakha MLA Milkiat Singh Dakha.

Speaking on the occasion, the family head Mandeep Singh, son of Buta Singh, said he was fed up with the ‘family politics’ of the father son-duo of the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal. He observed, the Shiromani Akali Dal which had been founded decades ago with so many great sacrifices for the noble mission to watch the interests of the panth had been restricted to watch the interests of a single family that of Parkash Singh Badal.

Several other leaders from the SAD also joined the Congress today at another function. They included Harnek Singh, cooperative society member, Harbhajan Singh, member Panchayat Samiti, Sukhdev Singh, member Block Samiti and others, along with hundreds of their supporters.

Addressing the meetings, national spokesperson of the AICC, Manish Tewari welcomed the Akali leaders into the Congress fold. He appreciated their acknowledgment of the policies of the Congress. He pointed out it was the Congress which had given the country its first Sikh Prime Minister and made the Sikhs, not only in Punjab but world over, to feel proud of their identity.

Meanwhile, at a separate function, Tewari reminded the SAD-BJP government in the state of its false promises made to the people of the state.