Summary:
He insisted on having a single party and contesting the elections under a single leader and a single slogan. PATIALA: In 1977, when the shroud of Emergency clouded the country, a student at Government Medical College in Amritsar forgot put his studies to become a doctor in the backburner and instead raised a flag against this “oppression”. However, when Khaira announces his Punjabi Ekta Party, he was seen supporting him at the launch, but never joined the party himself.He now says he would be contesting the next Lok Sabha election as a member of the PDA and not of any political party, which, according to political observers, can change if the PDA paves the way for a single political party. He also held a meeting with Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and the state’s chief secretary on the issue.True to his nature of being a rebel, Dr Gandhi was often seen with leaders who, despite possessing a strong political acumen, had failed to find a suitable place in traditional parties. This paved the way for his suspension from the party in April 2015.Having been sidelined within the party, Dr Gandhi shaped his politics around the issues that dominated the Punjabi psyche — including the decriminalisation of transitional drugs like opium and seeking royalty from non-riparian states over the use of Punjab waters to strengthen the state’s economy..