Waris Punjab De appoints Mandeep Sidhu, Lakha Sidhana as halqa in-charges

CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, has appointed Mandeep Singh Sidhu, elder brother of late actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, as halqa in-charge for Talwandi Sabo, and Lakhvir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana as halqa in-charge for Maur. The newly appointed leaders are expected to be the party's candidates in their respective constituencies.

Lakha Sidhana has previously contested elections on different party tickets but has never won. He contested the 2012 Assembly election from Rampura Phul on the People's Party of Punjab ticket and polled over 10,000 votes. In the 2022 Assembly election, he contested as an Independent from Maur with the support of the Samyukt Samaj Morcha and finished runner-up with 28,091 votes. He also contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Bathinda on a Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) ticket and secured over seven per cent of the votes.

Mandeep Sidhu is the elder brother of Deep Sidhu, who founded Waris Punjab De. Party sources said both leaders will focus on regional issues, youth concerns and Punjab's socio-political matters.

After their appointment, Sidhu and Sidhana, along with parliamentary board member Sukhwinder Singh Agwan, paid obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo.

The party has also formed a five-member parliamentary board with Kabal Singh as coordinator and Sukhwinder Singh Agwan, Babu Singh Brar, Sukhpreet Singh Udoke and Pargat Singh as members to oversee candidate selection.

A few days earlier, the party appointed six other halqa in-charges. They include Iqbal Singh Jhunda for Amargarh, Lakhwinder Singh alias Rabbi Kandola for Sri Anandpur Sahib, Bhupinder Singh Sajjan for Sham Chaurasi, Kulwant Singh Rauke for Bagha Purana, Daljit Singh Kalsi for Ajnala and Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala for Moga.

Jhunda had quit the Shiromani Akali Dal after heading its analysis committee and later joined Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) before joining Waris Punjab De. Kandola is a Punjabi film actor, while Sajjan is an independent web journalist. Rauke, Kalsi and Bukkanwala were among Amritpal Singh's associates detained under the National Security Act in Dibrugarh Central Jail.

The newly appointed constituency in-charges are expected to contest the 2027 Assembly elections.

Earlier, the party declared 61-year-old Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh, as its candidate from the reserved Bassi Pathana Assembly constituency in Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat.