Amritpal outfit names more candidates: Deep Sidhu’s brother, gangster-turned activist Lakha Sidhana

The Akali Dal Waris Punjab De (WPD) on Wednesday named gangster-turned activist Lakhbir Singh Sidhana aka Lakha Sidhana as the party candidate from the Maur Assembly constituency for the 2027 state elections. It also fielded Mandeep Singh Sidhu, the brother of the late actor Deep Sidhu, from Talwandi Sabo.

The names were announced by Tarsem Singh, the father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who also the heads the Akali Dal (WPD). The announcements had been stuck for a long time as both leaders wanted to contest from Maur constituency.

While Sidhana had unsuccessfully contested from the constituency Maur in the 2022 Assembly elections as a Samyukta Samaj Morcha candidate, it will be the maiden outing for Sidhu. On his part, Sidhu had been camping in Maur, and his posters have already come up across the constituency.

Party sources claimed that Sidhu was eventually convinced to contest from Talwandi Sabo because Sidhana had been working in the Maur constituency for the last five years. Furthermore, Amritpal Singh’s family had supported Sidhana's candidature during the 2024 parliamentary elections too.

Sidhu’s candidature from Talwandi Sabo has also put an end to speculation that Amritpal himself wanted to contest from the seat. The Akali dal (WPD) had earlier named Papalpreet Singh, a close associate of Amritpal Singh, from Majitha and named Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh who was executed for his role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as its candidate from Bassi Pathana.

Sidhana had earlier courted controversy after being blamed for instigating the protesters leading to violence on Republic Day near the Red Fort during the farmers' agitation against the now repealed central farm laws in 2021.

A native of Sidhana village in Punjab’s Bathinda, he had denied the allegations. As per police, he had than 25 criminal cases registered against him in Punjab, including on charges of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and under Arms Act.

A humanities graduate from Punjabi University, Patiala, Sidhana claims to have quit the crime world for social work. He had joined the People’s Party of Punjab in 2011m before quitting it in 2013, but not before it gave him political visibility.

Since then he has remained actively involved in social work, including arranging mass marriages of poor girls. In 2017, he had hit the headlines for allegedly defacing English signages demanding that they be written in Punjabi.

He was arrested and sent to Faridkot Modern Jail from where he did a live session on Facebook appeal farmers not to burn paddy stubble. Sidhu, a practising lawyer who hails from Udaykaran village in Muktsar district, was earlier pitched as a candidate for bypolls to Gidderbaha Assembly constituency in 2024.

His name was propped up by Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa had announced candidature after the bypoll was necessitated following after sitting MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring won the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat. Sidhu had started meeting people in the villages of the constituency before eventually backing out to avoid split in Panthic votes.

His brother and actor Deep Sidhu had founded Waris Punjab De on September 30, 2021, which was later taken over by Amritpal Singh. At the time, Sidhu had said he and his group cannot align with Amritpal “at any cost”. “My brother had launched Waris Punjab De with another ideology…not the one he (Amritpal) is now taking it to.

Deep had clearly said that talks are the (only) way but Amritpal is clearly asking youths to pick up weapon. He is misusing Deep’s name and portraying him as a separatist,” Sidhu had said. Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab.

He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts. Core Beats & Specializations Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.

National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups. Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies: 1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht "Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015.

"YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies. "As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications.

2. Crime & National Security "Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government's claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison.

"Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter" (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving "newly refurbished" firearms likely sent from across the border. "15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions.

3. Political Analysis & Elections "AAP...