Abohar's politics took a major turn as Suhani Doda, daughter-in-law of liquor baron and former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Shiv Lal Doda, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of Punjab AAP in-charge Manish Sisodia and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Suhani, an MBBS graduate who is not engaged in medical practice, formally joined the party amid considerable political speculation.
Shiv Lal Doda was the main accused in the high-profile 2015 Bhim Tank murder case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court and is currently out on bail after the Supreme Court granted him bail in February this year. The induction of his daughter-in-law into the AAP has raised many eyebrows.
Murder convict Shiv Lal Doda. File photo
Speaking to The Tribune, Suhani's husband, Gagan Doda, a businessman based in Chandigarh who accompanied her during the joining, said the family was impressed by the welfare policies of the AAP government in Punjab.
"Our aim is to contribute to the development of Abohar, the town where we were born and brought up," Gagan said.
Political observers believe Suhani may be entrusted with an important organisational role in the Abohar Assembly segment, as the Doda family has long been considered a staunch political rival of the Jakhar family.
Shiv Lal Doda contested the 2012 Assembly election from Abohar as an independent against then Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar. Doda secured 45,825 votes and finished as the runner-up. Later, in 2017, he withdrew from the contest in favour of BJP candidate Arun Narang, who is currently the AAP’s Abohar constituency in-charge.
When contacted, Arun Narang said that people used to join the parties and more will come. "I am an AAP worker and will stand by the party’s policies, abide by the instructions of my leaders," said Narang.
The development comes four days after the controversy surrounding the Abohar Municipal Corporation's mayoral election. During the corporation's maiden meeting, Abohar constituency in-charge Arun Narang had reportedly announced AAP councillor Ganesh Sablania as the Mayor.
However, following protests by BJP leaders led by former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, the district administration later declared that the election had been deferred.
The BJP alleged that despite having a majority of 28 councillors in the 50-member House, the AAP candidate was declared elected without a formal election process, in violation of the prescribed rules and procedures.