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Akalis ready to leave seat for Sidhu: Badal

PATIALA: The Shiromani Akali Dal is ready to leave any Punjab Assembly seat, including Patiala, for former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu to contest in the upcoming elections in the State, said the Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal here on Thursday.

``The decision will be taken by BJP high command on this issue,'' he told reporters.

``If Sidhu gets a stay from Supreme Court on his conviction by the Punjab and Haryana High Court then there will be no hurdle for him to contest elections,'' he said.

Declining to comment on the High Court verdict sentencing the former cricketer to three years' jail term, Mr. Badal said, "the people of the State know how things had been happening behind the scenes for this case. Sidhu will get sympathy''.

About the Supreme Court verdict on prosecution of Ministers and MLAs in corruption cases, Mr. Badal said it would "help" his party.

The Akali Dal has ``substantial proof to establish that the Chief Minister siphoned off public money and government land to private builders in the name of mega projects,'' said Mr. Badal, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, one day in advance, in Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Assembly constituency.

He said cases against him and his family members were false.

``As per the directions of Supreme Court we will move the trial court to prove that Amarinder Singh had levelled false allegations against the Badal family to settle political scores,'' he added. - PTI.

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Akalis ready to leave seat for Sidhu: Badal

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