Sukhpal Singh Khaira

Sukhpal Singh Khaira (born 13 January 1965) is an Indian Politician serving as Congress MLA from Bholath constituency as his 3rd term. He was the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Legislative Assembly during July 2017 to July 2018. He is appointed as the Chairman of All India Kisan Congress in July 2022.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira
Leader of the Opposition
Punjab Legislative Assembly
In office
20 July 2017[1] – 26 July 2018[2]
Preceded byH. S. Phoolka[1]
Succeeded byHarpal Singh Cheema[3]
ConstituencyBholath, Kapurthala district
Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
for Bholath
Assumed office
10 March 2022
Preceded byHimself
In office
24 March 2017 – 3 June 2021
Preceded byBibi Jagir Kaur
In office
1 March 2007 – 6 March 2012
Preceded byBibi Jagir Kaur
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Born (1965-01-13) 13 January 1965
Kapurthala, Punjab, India
Political partyINC (Until 2015; 2021-)
Other political
affiliations		PEP (2019-21)
AAP (2015-18)

He started his political career with Youth Congress. In 1997, He became vice President of Punjab Youth Congress. He got political legacy from his father Sukhjinder Singh Khaira, stalwart Akali leader.

Personal life

Sukhpal Singh Khaira is the son of veteran Akali leader and former Punjab education minister Sukhjinder Singh Khaira.[4][5]

He did his schooling from Bishop Cotton School, Shimla.

Political career

In 1994, he was elected as Member Panchayat from Village Ramgarh, District Kapurthala.[6] In 1997, he joined the Youth congress and was appointed vice president of Punjab Youth Congress.[6] In 1999, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee appointed him as secretary of their organisation.[6] In 2005 he was appointed president of Kapurthala district's Congress committee (2005 to 2010).[6] In 2006, he became elected director of Central Cooperative Bank, Kapurthala.[6]

Member of Legislative Assembly 2007 - 2012

In 2007 he was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly from Bholath till 2012 under the Congress party, Kapurthala, Punjab after two failed attempts in 1997 and 2002.[7] In 2009 he was appointed Punjab Congress Spokesperson and was reappointed in 2013. He later resigned in 2014 from the post, owning moral responsibility for the "poor performance" of the party in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in the state.[8][9]

On 25 December Khaira announced his resignation from Congress party and declared his unification with the Aam Aadmi Party.[10]

Member of Legislative Assembly 2017 - 2021

On 11 March 2017, Khaira won the Member of Legislative Assembly elections second time after failing in 2012 in his constituency of Bholath, however this time acting under the Aam Aadmi Party.

In 2018 he was Suspended from AAP for anti party activities. He formed Punjab Democratic Alliance[11] On 6 January 2019, Khaira left Aam Aadmi Party.

On 8 January 2019, he formed a new political party, Punjab Ekta Party.[12] On 16 March 2019, Punjab Democratic Alliance announced his candidacy from Bathinda parliamentary constituency.[13]

On 25 April 2019 he resigned from Punjab Legislative Assembly.[14] On 23 May 2019, he lost from the Bathinda Lok Sabha Constituency.[15]

Member of Legislative Assembly 2022 - present

On 10 March, Khaira won the Member of Legislative Assembly election third time from Bholath, this time as an Indian National Congress candidate.[16][17]

In July 2022, Khaira was appointed as the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.[18][19]

Controversies

Sukhpal Singh Khaira admitted to meeting Arvind Kejriwal in early 2015.[20] According to media the meeting was in pretext to join AAP Punjab, but prominent leaders of AAP Punjab blocked the entry of Khaira into the Party.[21][22] In 2018, he was removed as the Leader of Opposition of the Punjab assembly, because of his problems with the party.[23]

Allegations were made on Khaira that he was trying to protect trans-border Heroin smuggler Gurdev Singh, he rubbished the allegations and invited the enquiry.[24] However, in April 2018, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill Panel, constituted by Govt., declared that all 17 cases against Sukhpal Singh Khaira were falsely registered and demanded action against police officers.[25]

References
  1. PTI (20 July 2017). "AAP's Sukhpal Khaira new leader of opposition in Pb Assembly". Business Standard India. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  2. Tikku, Aloke (26 July 2018). "AAP In Turmoil In Punjab, Top Leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira Sacked". NDTV. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  3. "AAP removes Khaira, appoints Harpal Cheema as leader of opposition". Tribune. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  4. "Former Punjab Minister dead". The Hindu. 11 July 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. "Former Punjab minister Sukhjinder Singh passes away". news.webindia123.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. "Political career". NRI Internet. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  7. "Sukhpal Singh Khaira,MLA Bholath at Los Angeles". www.nriinternet.com. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  8. "Sukhpal Khaira becomes Punjab Cong spokesman". Zee News. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  9. PTI (18 May 2014). "Punjab Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira resigns". DNA India. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  10. Vasdev, Kanchan (25 December 2015). "Now, Punjab Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira likely to join AAP". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  11. "Sukhpal Khaira announces Punjab Democratic Alliance with BSP, Bains brothers, Dr Gandhi". The Indian Express. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  12. PTI (8 January 2019). "Days After Quitting AAP, Sukhpal Singh Khaira Floats New Political Outfit". News18. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. "Sukhpal Khaira to contest parliamentary polls from Bathinda constituency". Tribune. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  14. "Sukhpal Khaira resigns as Bholath MLA". Tribune. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  15. "Bathinda Lok Sabha Elections Result 2019: Winning Political Party, Candidate, Vote Share". Zee News. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  16. "PunjabElections 2022 vote counting LIVE Updates: For Bholath Constituency". ABP. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  17. "Election Commission of India constituency wise result board". eci.gov.in. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  18. "Sukhpal Khaira appointed as Chairman of All India Kisan Congress". www.babushahi.com. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  19. "Congress Rejects Committee On MSP, Terms It As 'Farcical Attempt'". ABP News. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  20. Sehgal, Manjeet (4 June 2021). "Joining AAP a political blunder, Arvind Kejriwal a dictator: Sukhpal Singh Khaira". India Today. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  21. "Bhagwant Mann, Dr. Gandhi, Sadhu Singh to block entry of Sukhpal Khaira in Aam Aadmi Party". sikhsiyasat.net. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  22. "Sukhpal Singh Khaira to join AAP soon, says Sucha Singh Chhotepur". Hindustan Times. 28 February 201. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  23. Sethi, Chitleen K (26 July 2018). "One outburst too many, Punjab AAP replaces Sukhpal Singh Khaira as leader of opposition". The Print. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  24. "No link with arrested drug smuggler: Khaira". Tribune. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  25. "Cases against Simranjit Mann, Khaira false, says probe panel". Tribune. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
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