GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar August 18 With former BJP leader Anil Joshi set to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday the Amritsar (North) Assembly constituency has come in the spotlight. The SAD has already allocated the North seat which Joshi won twice in the past and is keen to contest again to its new ally BSP. Akalis would have to take the BSP into confidence and compensate it before deciding upon fielding Joshi from the constituency. Joshi as Cabinet Minister (2012-17) had done a lot of work in the Assembly segment and was popularly called “Vikas Purush”. Meanwhile senior BJP leader Master Mohan Lal came to meet Joshi at his residence yesterday but had to return disappointed as he was not there. Mohan Lal said he had come to convince Joshi to review his decision of joining the SAD. Joshi on the other hand has already started remobilising support. He said he was all set to join the SAD on August 20. No conditions I want to contest the Amritsar (North) seat but I am joining the SAD with no conditions. — Anil Joshi Ex-cabinet minister “I could not deviate from my stand now. I believe that Punjabs decisions should be taken in Punjab only and not in New Delhi. Only a regional party like the SAD could do that in my opinion” he said. Nonetheless it would be a triangular contest in the North constituency a Hindu-dominated seat which is occupied by Congress Sunil Dutti who had toppled joshi by around 14000 votes in the 2017 Assembly elections. Though AAPs newly inducted member ex-IG Kunwar Vijay Partap didnt disclose his choice of seat he is also likely to start his political innings from the North if the regular meetings he has been conducting are any indication.

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