Khadoor Sahib by poll: AAP rebel papers rejected

Khadoor Sahib, With the candidature of AAP rebel Bhai Baldeep Singh getting rejected on Thursday and the Congress’ decision to stay away from the Khadoor Sahib byelection, it would be a cakewalk for the Akalis to occupy the seat.
The candidature of Bhai Baldeep Singh, who had applied as an Independent candidate, was discarded today on the grounds that he could not furnish official requisite to prove himself to be a voter of Punjab.

Bhai Baldeep Singh is a registered voter in Delhi. He had recently submitted an application to cancel his vote in Delhi and had applied for it in his home town Sultanpur Lodhi.
Only a voter in Punjab can contest assembly elections in the state. As Bhai Baldeep Singh could not produce required proof, the Returning Officer and Sub Divisional Magistrate Ravinder Singh issued a notice to Singh to produce the required documents by 11 am today, which he could not.
A classical musician, who unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary elections from Khadoor Sahib on an AAP ticket in 2014, Bhai Baldeep Singh had support of other rebel AAP leaders, including MPs Dharamvir Gandhi, Harinder Singh Khalsa and Swaraj Lehar leader Yoginder Yadav.
While calling it an illegal act taken at the behest of the ruling SAD-BJP government, Bhai Baldeep Singh said: “It was an illegal undemocratic vendetta on the part of the SAD for whom I was the biggest threat.”
However, this development would work in favour of SAD candidate Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, as he could foresee “negligible threat” to prevent him from occupying the Khadoor Sahib Assembly seat.
At present, only Congress rebel Bhupinder Singh Bittu, a former market committee chairman, and a close confidante of senior Congress leader Partap Singh; and another AAP rebel Sumel Singh Sidhu, who was the first convener of AAP in Punjab are there in the contest.
Others in the fray included Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Puran Singh Sheikh and Majhabi Sikh Balmiki Morcha candidate Sukhdev Singh Khosla.