A day after former AAP MLA and senior advocate Harvinder Singh Phoolka joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Sehajdhari Sikh Party (SSP) announced that it will field a candidate against him in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.The Sehajdhari Sikh Party (SSP) is a registered political party in India focused on advocating for the rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs, who adhere to Sikh principles gradually without full initiation or adherence to the symbols of the faith.The party’s executive council has declared that its national president, Paramjit Singh Ranu, would contest against Phoolka if he is nominated by the BJP from any constituency in Punjab.Phoolka, an eminent Supreme Court advocate known for his long legal battle seeking justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, joined the party in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar and party chief spokesperson Anil Baluni in the national capital.The move marks a shift in the SSP’s political stance. The party had previously supported the BJP by withdrawing its candidates during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. Ranu clarified that the SSP’s opposition is not toward the BJP itself, but specifically toward Phoolka.”Let the BJP nominate Phoolka from any seat in Punjab. I will contest against him in the upcoming Assembly elections,” Ranu said, claiming that several BJP ‘taksali’ leaders were in touch with him.Explaining the opposition, Ranu alleged that Phoolka had consistently acted against the rights and interests of Sehajdhari Sikhs. He cited Phoolka’s stand in legal matters, including opposition to Sehajdhari voting rights in Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections and his support for the SGPC’s decision to deny admission to a Sehajdhari female student at a medical college in Amritsar.Responding to these allegations, Phoolka told The Tribune that his stand on the voting rights of the Sikh body and reservation in Sikh institutions remained unchanged regardless of political affiliations.“It’s true that only keshadhari Sikhs have the right to participate in SGPC elections. We fought a long legal battle to reserve the rights of Sikhs. Similarly, I support that the seats in SGPC-run institutions are reserved for them,” he said.On the question of contesting the 2027 Assembly polls, Phoolka stated that the decision would rest with the BJP leadership. “It is not possible to predict today whether I will be a candidate in the Assembly elections,” he added.Phoolka resigned from the AAP in 2019 after serving as a legislator and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.