Ludhiana, June 6 -- Former minister Sohan Singh Thandal returned to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) fold on Thursday, months after unsuccessfully contesting Chabbewal assembly polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket in November last year.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal welcomed Thandal into the party fold in Ludhiana.

Thandal, who had switched to BJP in October last year, said he has "returned to his roots".

Welcoming Thandal back to the party, Sukhbir said: "There is a growing feeling in Punjab that the SAD alone can deal with the menace of rampant corruption and gangster culture unleashed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and bring back the era of peace and development."

"This is the reason why Thandal has chosen to re...