I toe the party line with disappointment, says AAP leader Mali

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 24

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took long to announce the Jalandhar candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019, but when it announced today by fielding Justice Zora Singh (retd) as the candidate, it came as a shock for the local cadre.

Notably, the name of Dr Shiv Dayal Mali, the district president of AAP, was making rounds that he would be contesting from the Jalandhar seat. But the party instead announced Zora’s name that is from Fatehgarh Sahib. To this, Dr Mali said he toe the party line with disappointment.

“The core committee has taken the decision and I have no role in decision making. I have been working for the party with full dedication. The party must have thought something while deciding the name of Justice Zora Singh.

Dr Mali said he had not backed out.

“There was no question of backing out of the party. No one should question my dedication and perseverance towards the party. Had I not been in the party, I would have been a director, health services,” he said.

An AAP leader on the condition of anonymity said everyone knows the condition the party was in right now. “The party was active when it started and was also popular among people and now, the situation is sombre,” the leader added. However, the leader added that the name of Justice Zora would definitely give strength to the party from the district.

About Zora Singh

Justice Zora Singh (retd), who chaired a commission set up in 2015 to probe sacrilege incidents in the state, will be contesting from Jalandhar and it is being believed that being a baptized Sikh, Justice Zora Singh will eat into Akali votes.