Charanjit Singh Atwal, former Punjab Assembly speaker, SAD leader joined BJP

Charanjit Singh Atwal, a former speaker of the Punjab Assembly and leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has joined the BJP.

At his home, he received his party membership in the presence of party president JP Nadda. On April 19, the 86-year-old retired from the SAD’s core membership.

From 2004 to 2009, he served as the 14th Lok Sabha’s deputy speaker. Additionally, he served as the Punjab Assembly’s speaker twice.

Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, the son of Charanjit Singh Atwal, is running in the May 10 by-election for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha. He recently joined the BJP. On May 13, results will be made public.

The death of Congressman Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January of this year triggered a by-election for this seat.

Since 1999, the Jalandhar parliamentary district has been a bastion for the Congress. The Congress, BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and SAD-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) coalition are all vying for victory in the by-election, which will feature a four-cornered race.

After the SAD severed ties with it in 2020, the BJP is running in Punjab’s first Lok Sabha election on its own.

The late Santokh Chaudhary’s wife, Karamjit Kaur, is the candidate for the Congress. Sushil Rinku, a former lawmaker who joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led party after severing relations with Congress, is the AAP’s candidate.

Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, a two-time MLA, is the SAD candidate sponsored by the BSP.