Chandigarh: Acting strictly against the rebel candidates the Punjab unit of the congress party yesterday in a written statement duly signed by party president Capt Amrinder Singh expelled another dissident Balbir Sidhu for his anti-party activities, Whereas Bassi Pathana rebel Congress candidate Harnek Singh Diwana retired from the poll race in favour of the official Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh GP.
The expulsion statement reportedly read that Balbir Singh Sidhu, rebel candidate from Talwandi Sabo “is hereby expelled for anti-party activities with immediate effect. Balbir Sidhu is the 18 rebel candidate of the Congress to be expelled for refusing to withdraw or retire from the assembly election race.
Earlier in the day, however, heeding party president Captain Amarinder Singh’s appeal to withdraw in the interest of the party and the state, the Bassi Pathana rebel Congress candidate Harnek Singh Diwana announced his decision to retire from the poll race in favor of the official Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh GP.
Harnek, a close confidant of late Punjab Minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh, had resigned from the primary membership of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) in 2009 to join the PPCC.
An ex-serviceman, he had filed his nomination papers from Bassi Pathana after being denied the Congress ticket for the 2017 assembly elections.