Most BJP leaders skip Akalis’ Moga rally

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, November 28

State BJP president Kamal Sharma did not turn up at the Akali Dal’s Sadbhavna rally here today. The presence of party workers too was not encouraging despite the fact that the BJP had announced to support the SAD rallies.

In another disappointment for the Akali Dai, its local MLA Joginder Pal Jain too was also absent. Sources said the MLA had been hospitalised, but he was reportedly discharged yesterday. 

Revenue Minister and SAD’s youth wing president Bikram Majithia was also not present. 

Many among the crowd were seen leaving the venue when Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal started his speech.

Some people had brought cots in their vehicles and were seen sitting on these outside the pandal chatting with each other. The ribbon bands of Youth Akali Dal were seen tied on the turbans of older people. 

The sources said a majority of the crowd at the rally was from Dharamkot, Ferozepur, Jalalabad, Nihalsinghwala, Zira, Moga and Ludhiana. 

It was also announced from the stage many a times that the crowd must sit down and listen to the speeches of the Chief Minister and his deputy. Akali volunteers were seen requesting people to go inside the “pandal”.

When Sukhbir came to the stage along with youth Akali leader Barjinder Singh Brar, he checked the crowd to make an assessment of the numbers before taking his seat.