Chandigarh: In a setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal, party leader Hardeep Singh 'Dimpy' Dhillon on Sunday quit the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led outfit, apparently upset over not being announced as the party nominee for the Gidderbaha Assembly by-poll.
However, SAD urged Dhillon not to be misled by the propaganda being unleashed by "forces inimical" to the party and said it fully supported him for the forthcoming by-poll.
Dhillon's resignation comes amid rebellion by a section of party leaders.
Considered close to Badal, Dhillon was the party's constituency in-charge for the Gidderbaha Assembly seat and an aspirant for the party's ticket from the constituency.
Dhillon had unsuccessfully fought from the Gidderbaha Assembly seat in 2017 and 2022. He lost to Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring by around 1,300 votes in the 2022 Assembly elections.
The by-poll is necessitated following Warring's elections to the Lok Sabha from the Ludhiana seat.
Dhillon's parting with SAD came at a time when the Sukhbir Badal-led outfit is facing the worst rebellion in its history with a section of party leaders revolting against Badal, demanding that he step down as party chief following SAD's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.
On August 14, Banga MLA Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi left SAD to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Dhillon's resignation came days after Badal had toured the Gidderbaha Assembly constituency along with him.
Though Dhillon said he will announce his next course of action after consulting his supporters, there were speculations that he may join AAP.
Dhillon said he had asked Badal who will fight the by-poll as people of the constituency were asking about the party's candidate.
"Biba ji (Harsimrat Kaur Badal) indicated that Sukhbir will fight the by-poll," said Dhillon, adding that he had no objection to Sukhbir's candidature.
But Sukhbir declared that he will not fight the by-poll, said Dhillon.
Dhillon further said Sukhbir's cousin and BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal also got active in the constituency, indicating that SAD might field him.
He said his supporters warned him that he could be ditched and asked him to get his name declared as the candidate.
He said he even asked the party president to speak against Manpreet but he did not.
"I felt that I am becoming a stumbling block between the love of two brothers (Sukhbir and Manpreet)," said Dhillon, adding that he decided to quit the party after consulting his supporters.
Meanwhile, SAD clarified that it did not have any intention to bring a leader from any other party to field him as a candidate for the by-poll.
Party spokesperson Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said all such speculations were false and baseless.