birds of a feather flock together

[me moorakh mugadh]

Badal, Tohra factions announce unity :g :g :g

PATIALA: In a significant development that will change the course of Akali politics, former chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal and Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra announced their unity on Friday.

After meeting Badal at the residence of his son-in-law and former minister Gurmel Singh Tohra in the morning, the SHSAD chief announced the dissolution of his party and its merger with the SAD.

Badal offered 'laddoos' to Tohra, after which Tohra read out a a brief unity draft in Gurmukhi, signed by both the leaders, saying, "Keeping in view the sentiments of the Sikh community and the serious challenges faced by Punjab and the party, we announce the unity of the SAD. We appeal to all workers to forget the past differences and cooperate whole-heartedly to achieve the goals of the panth."

Announcing that the new party would be called the SAD, the two Akali leaders said the organisational set-up of the party would be announced shortly. They said that deserving Akalis would be given tickets for the coming panchayat elections. The announcement, however, came without much fanfare.

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While only a handful of Tohra supporters, including Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Surjit Singh Kohli and Manjit Singh Calcutta, were present on the occasion, Badal was alone.

The absence of former Akali minister Prem Singh Chandumajra also raised many speculations.

The unity between the two Akali factions brings to an end the six-year-old differences between Tohra and Badal. Badal and his companions had left no stone unturned to push Tohra out of the mainstream of Akali politics. Tohra had reacted to this by forming the SHSAD.

The unity efforts had been initiated a few months ago, reportedly under the pressure of senior BJP leaders who had the coming Lok Sabha elections in mind.

When Tohra was admitted to hospital after a heart attack, Badal, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal and many party colleagues had visited him and wished him speedy recovery.

However, the unity efforts got a real boost when Badal appeared before Akal Takht, a step which was welcomed by Tohra. Badal, Tohra factions announce unity Parkash Singh Badal offering a ‘ladoo’ to G S Tohra, in Patiala.