On the heels of the formation of Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) of veteran Akali leader and MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, the Punjab Ekta Party has been formed by Punjab legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira after quitting AAP.

After playing hide and seek for the past few months, Sukhpal Singh Khaira –the son of Akali veteran Prof. Sukhjinder Singh, who too could not fit in to the feudal politics of the Akali party, along with six of his like-minded Aam Aadmi Party colleagues announced the formation of the new Punjab Ekta Party, with the avowed aim of “getting due justice for all Punjabis who have sacrificed a lot for the country but whose demands have not been met and grievances have not been addressed.”

Speaking to his supporters, Sukhpal Singh Khaira announced his new party’s mission to eradicate corruption from Punjab and to launch a full scale attack on the mining and transport mafia in the state. Tracing the long history of grievances of the people of Punjab since the partition of the country, he said that “his party stood for a truly federal structure’” and advocated more powers to the states.

He also said that, “the Punjab Ekta Party would explore all avenues for a solution to the farm crisis in Punjab and end suicides of farmers.”

Six legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party –Kanwar Sandhu, Nazar Singh Manshahia, Master Baldev Singh, Pirmal Singh, Jagdev Singh Kamulu and Jagtar Singh Jagga Issowal were present at the launch of the new party, though Sukhpal Singh Khaira was the only speaker at the meet.

As Sukhpal Singh Khaira has almost decided to contest the forthcoming parliamentary elections, he is likely to face the fallout of his resignation from the AAP under anti-defection laws. After his election from the Bholath constituency, Khaira rose to become the leader of the opposition, however his outspokenness was not liked by his colleagues like Bhagwant Mann and the Delhi leadership of AAP.

Six sitting AAP legislators — Kanwar Sandhu, Nazar Singh Manshahia, Master Baldev Singh, Pirmal Singh, Jagdev Kamalu and Jagga Issowal — were seen at the launch of the new party. Though they are likely to support him, but fearing the anti-defection laws, they may not resign from the party. At least, not now. Of the 20 AAP legislators elected, Khaira is the second after Phoolka to resign from the party.

It is raining political parties and fronts in the Punjab. With the general elections to the lower house of the Indian Parliament just a few months away, new permutations and combinations are in the offing to the people of Punjab. The Akali ranks are already divided with the formation of Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) and the Panthic parties are still waiting in the wings. Advocate activist Harvinder Singh Phoolka is tilting towards socio-religious politics, though what he will eventually do at the nth hour cannot be easily guessed. Who will catch the imagination of the people of Punjab?