SAD to fight panchayat elections in Haryana on its own:Sukhbir

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to contest the panchayat elections in Haryana for the first time on its own.
SAD President and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Rajya Sabha member and General Secretary of the SAD, will be the overall state in-charge to spearhead the campaign.
Haryana has been divided into 5 zones for selection of candidates and supervision of panchayat elections.
Sukhbir said senior vice president of SAD Bibi Jagir Kaur, who is also President of women's wing of the party, has been entrusted with the command of zone-1 comprising districts of Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra.

Senior Akali leaders Surjit Singh Rakhra and N K Sharma would share the responsibility as co-incharges.
Lok Sabha member and SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra has been made the in-charge of zone-2 to supervise Kaithal, Jind, Karnal and Panipat districts.

Besides, senior SAD leader Sikandar Singh Maluka would look after zone-3 comprising Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Bhiwani districts and Mantar Singh Brar would be the co-incharge.
Badal informed that senior vice president Avtar Singh Hit has been given the responsibility of zone-5 as Incharge for Gurgaon, Palwal, Faridabad, Jhajjar and Nuh districts. Harmeet Singh Kalka would be co-incharge.
He said that Rohtak, Rewari, Panipat and Mahendragarh districts have been included in zone-4 and in-charges would be announced very shortly.

Meanwhile, Sukhbir constituted the organisational structure of SAD in the USA in its bid to spread the base of the party.
He said that Jaspreet Singh Attorney has been appointed as chief legal advisor and chairman of the high-powered core committee for America.
Other members are Satpal Singh Brar Virginia, Raghbir Singh Subhanpur New York, Kulwant Singh Khera Sanjose California, Surjit Singh Bakersfield, Surjit Singh Tut, Charanjit Singh Bath, Amrik Singh Amar Carpet Chicago Illinois, Mohan Singh Khattra New York, Arvinder Singh Lakhan Proterville California, Hakamjit Singh Grewal, Avtar Singh Gill, Harkesh Singh Sidhu, Mukhtiar Singh Heer, Harbans Singh Chahal, Harbans Singh Dhillon, Baldev Singh Indiana and Bachan Singh Gill Wisconsin.