Manpreet Badal, nephew of veteran Punjab leader late Prakash Singh Badal, has reached BJP after wandering. Manpreet, who was the Finance Minister in the government of Prakash Singh Badal, had left the Akali Dal and formed his own party in the name of Punjab People’s Party. When he did not get any success in this, he joined Congress and was a minister in the Captain Amarinder Singh government of Congress from 2017 to 2022. When Congress was defeated and out of power, Manpreet became disillusioned with it and now his destination is BJP. He had already joined BJP but now the party has made him a candidate in the assembly by-elections.
Manpreet Badal will contest from Gidderbah seat, considered the stronghold of his family. He has been MLA from this seat four times from 1995 to 2007. Last time Congress’s Raja Amarinder Singh Waring had won the election from this seat. But now he has become an MP so the seat has become vacant. After roaming around, Manpreet has returned to contest on this seat. Last time, in the 2022 assembly elections, Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon had contested the elections from Akali Dal and lost by a slight margin of around two thousand votes. Aam Aadmi Party was at third place. So, this time also there will be a four-cornered contest between Congress, Akali Dal and AAP because of Manpreet. The question is what will happen if Manpreet does not win? Will he return with BJP or go with the last remaining option Aam Aadmi Party or return home? This will be decided after the results of this election.