Lok Bhalai Party merges with SAD

Ludhiana, November 23

The Lok Bhalai Party of Balwant Singh Ramoowalia merged with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at a rally near Detwal village in the district today. Ramoowalia, who had quit the Akali Dal on November 27, 1989, called it a homecoming. He was welcomed back into the party fold by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. Ramoowalia said he had always had great regard for the Badal family.

“I have taken this decision after a lot of thought and discussions with my party workers. I am not a greenhorn in politics and neither are the Badals,” Ramoowalia said.

Sukhbir said that all LBP workers would be “duly adjusted” in the party setup.

The Chief Minister said the merger would not only help in defeating the “anti-Punjab and anti-development” Congress, but also ensure that Punjab had a sustained growth.

He said Ramoowalia would play a big role in the party. Later at a press conference, when asked whether

Ramoowalia or any of his supporters would be candidates for the coming elections, Badal said it was premature to make any statement. “We will decide on such matters in days to come but Ramoowalia will certainly hold a key position in the party,” he added.

ON THE SIDELINESl BS Ramoowalia got emotional several times while addressing the gathering, swearing on his family that he would continue to work for the rights of Punjabis settled abroad l Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal provoked laughter when he told the audience that popular singer Harbhajan Mann ( son-in-law of Ramoowalia’s elder brother) would come free with the Lok Bhalai Party chief (ek naal ek muft) l Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said Ramoowalia’s ‘jawai’ (son-in-law) was now his ‘jawai’ and that the Punjabis knew that they had to take care of their ‘jawais’ l Badal left the audience guessing when he said nowadays no child listens to his father. He said ‘pehla putt jammde si, par hun peo jammde ne’