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Elections will be held in Punjab early next year and many political parties are busy preparing for these elections. Meanwhile, former gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon joined the Aam Aadmi Party, after which the politics of Punjab heated up. Former gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon was inducted into the party by CM Bhagwant Mann himself during a program in Ferozepur. The surprising thing is that a few years ago the Punjab government was opposing the release of the same Gurpreet Singh Sekhon.

Gurpreet Singh Sekhon is not an ordinary person. A total of 47 criminal cases are registered against him and he is also the main accused in the famous Nabha jailbreak case of 2016. Now questions were bound to be raised on the joining of such a person in the ruling party of the state and they did arise. Political parties including the main opposition Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party.

Who is Gurpreet Singh Sekhon?

Gurpreet Singh Sekhon is a former gangster associated with the Mudki area of ​​Punjab's Firozpur district, whose name had surfaced as the mastermind in the infamous 2016 Nabha high-security jail break case. According to police records, there are more than 47 cases registered against him to serious crimes including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, kidnapping, extortion and weapons. His name was also linked to the murder of gangster Sukha Kahlwan and gangsters like Vicky Gounder.

He was arrested in 2017 after the Churchich Nabha prison break and is out on bail after his sentence was stayed pending an appeal in 2023. His name was also involved in the murder of gangster Sukha Kahlwan in police custody in 2015. However, he was later acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.

How did you enter politics?

In the local body elections held in Punjab last year, two women from Gurpreet Singh Sekhon's family contested the elections. Both of them get support from Shiromani Akali Dal. His wife Mandeep Kaur Sekhon contested from Bajidpur seat and close relative Kuljeet Kaur Sekhon contested from Firozhah seat and also won. After this, the political stature of his family increased and Sekhon started preparations to contest the upcoming assembly elections. His influence increased significantly in Firozpur district, especially in Zira assembly constituency.

What benefit will AAP get?

Aam Aadmi Party will first of all benefit from the entry of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon in Ferozepur and Zira assembly constituencies. His political stature was continuously growing and he was preparing for the upcoming elections. However, it is not yet clear whether the party will give him ticket or not, but with his joining the party has definitely gained an army of workers.

Apart from this, the benefits that Gurpreet Singh Sekhon will bring to the Aam Aadmi Party come from his past history. On 27 November 2016, six high-profile prisoners lodged inside the jail were rescued during the Nabha break in Patiala district. These prisoners included four gangsters and two terrorists. Terrorists Harminder Singh Mintu and Kashmir Singh were associated with Khalistan Liberation Force. There is definitely sympathy towards Gurpreet Singh Sekhon after this incident in the fundamentalist community supporting Khalistan. In such a situation, his joining the party just before the elections is being seen as an attempt to attract this community.

Trying to get Panthak votes?

Aam Aadmi Party has made many such efforts in the recent past to attract the Panthak (followers of Sikhism and fundamentalist views) vote bank towards them. A few days ago, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had met Punjab Governor Gulabchand Kataria to grant 10-day parole on humanitarian grounds to Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in the former Chief Minister Beant Singh murder case. The government introduced a law on sacrilege but it led to a conflict with SGPC and Akal Takht.

All these efforts of the Aam Aadmi Party are being seen as an attempt to win over the vote bank of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the ever strengthening party of MP Amritpal. In the 2017 elections, the vote bank of Shiromani Akali Dal shifted towards AAP and Akali Dal came to third position. In 2022, Shiromani Akali Dal was reduced to just 3 seats and AAP formed the government. Now Shiromani Akali Dal is trying to make a comeback with strength and Amritpal's party is also attracting Panthak votes. In such a situation, AAP is in danger that the voters who supported them in 2017 and 2022 may again go towards these sectarian parties, which will cause direct loss to them in the upcoming elections.