Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla is contemplating joining the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following his discontent over the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) nomination of Anita Som Parkash for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat. Sampla expressed his displeasure with the decision, labeling it as “nepotism” and “dynasty politics.”
Anita, who is set to make her political and electoral debut, is the wife of BJP’s former Hoshiarpur MP and Union Minister, Som Parkash. The announcement of Anita’s nomination in the party’s second list of candidates for Punjab has sparked outrage among Sampla’s supporters, who had expected his candidacy.
Sampla, a significant political figure in Hoshiarpur, previously secured victory in the constituency during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He has served as the head of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes from 2021 to 2023 and as a Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment from 2014 to 2019.
Beginning his political journey as a sarpanch in his native village Sofi in Jalandhar, Sampla has risen from humble beginnings, having worked as a daily wage laborer and plumber. In 2019, he was a strong contender for the BJP ticket, facing competition from Som Parkash, a retired IAS officer.
Expressing his disappointment with the recent decision, Sampla removed ‘Modi ka parivar’ from his social media profiles and shared a cryptic post indicating his resilience. He thanked his supporters, suggesting that alternative paths await him.
The potential shift of Sampla to SAD could reshape the political landscape in Punjab,
particularly in Hoshiarpur and other constituencies. With the Punjab Lok Sabha polls on the horizon, the region anticipates a dynamic and fiercely contested electoral battle.