Indira Gandhi's Assassin's Son To Contest 2027 Punjab Assembly Polls

Amritsar:  The Akali Dal Waris Punjab De has announced its first candidate for the 2027 Punjab Assembly poll by fielding Satwant Singh, the son of Kehar Singh -- who was executed for his role in the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Satwant (61) has been fielded from Bassi Pathana assembly constituency in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

The Punjab assembly polls are due early next year.

Satwant's father Kehar Singh was convicted for conspiring in the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and subsequently hanged to death.

The two bodyguards of Indira Gandhi -- one of whom was also named Satwant Singh and the other, Beant Singh -- killed the then prime minister on October 31, 1984 at her residence.

Akali Dal Waris Punjab De officiating president Tarsem Singh on Wednesday announced the candidature of Kehar Singh's son Satwant.

Tasrem Singh is the father of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in an Assam jail in the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case.

The officiating president said the party's politics was based upon the 'Panthic' principles and added that rights of Punjabis would always be protected.

He further said the families, who sacrificed for the cause of 'Sikh Panth', would never be ignored.

Notably, Amrit Kaur Maloa had earlier expressed her desire to contest from the Bassi Pathana assembly constituency as an Independent candidate. She is the daughter of Beant Singh -- one of the bodyguards who killed Gandhi in 1984 -- and the sister of Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa.

Akali Dal Waris Punjab De has also recently appointed Sukhwinder Singh Agwan, who is the nephew of Satwant Singh -- convicted and hanged for the assassination of Indira Gandhi -- a member of the party's parliamentary board.