People won't forgive Balkaur for betrayal, says SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal

HISAR: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said former party MLA Balkaur Singh, who defected to the party's national ally BJP and is now contesting elections for it from Kalanwali, had betrayed his "mother party" and people would not forgive him for this.


Campaigning in Kalanwali for party candidate Rajinder Singh Desujodha, Sukhbir said regional parties were known for fulfilling the aspirations of people and that was why the SAD and its Haryana ally, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), had worked on rural areas during their tenures.

"Already, there are reports that he (Balkaur) has been denied entry to many villages. Let us all work to ensure he loses his security deposit," said the SAD president.

Sukhbir said former deputy PM Devi Lal, founder of INLD, was responsible for most of the development in Sirsa district. "Choudhary sahib (Devi Lal) eradicated waterlogging from this area, much like Sardar (former Punjab CM Parkash Singh) Badal did in Muktsar," he said.

He said Punjab was witness to "phenomenal development" under his father, with the state being made power surplus, and free electricity being supplied to tubewells, and infrastructure projects getting an impetus. He said five airports were built in the state when SAD was in power. "We want to bring the same level of development to Haryana," he added.

Desujodha said SAD supporters were now shunning Balkaur.