PATIALA: So far enjoying monopoly as the only star campaigner of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann will soon find a challenger in acclaimed singer and musician Rabbi Shergill , a modern sufi artiste acclaimed for introducing new paradigms in Punjabi music.

Rabbi, who shot to fame with his rendition of Bulle Shah's 'Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun' in 2004, will take part in the conference being organized by rebel AAP volunteers of the AAP during Rakhar Punia congregation at Khadoor Sahib in a direct challenge to official event of the party which will be attended by state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Bhagwant Mann and some national leaders.

While Mann will be one of the main speakers and a crowdpuller during the AAP conference, Rabbi said he would be there "only to participate in the volunteers' conference". He will attend the conference on Saturday.

"Yes, I am coming to Punjab to attend the AAP volunteers' conference at Rakhar Punia. I'll be attending the conference as I feel that they are the genuine torchbearers of the party. It is the volunteers and not leaders who had made sacrifices when AAP was born. I support their cause," Rabbi told TOI over phone. He added that he was aware that two separate conferences of the same party were being organized during Rakhar Punia.

All political parties organize their conferences at Rakhar Punia congregation. However, the AAP is facing a peculiar situation as large number of its volunteers from over a dozen districts of the state has decided to organize a function parallel to the official rally of the party.

"I will attend the conference like any other volunteer. All I want is to convey my message of solidarity to the volunteers. I will sing if volunteers will ask me to do so," Rabbi added.

Sumail Singh Sidhu, chief of the AAP state election campaign committee for the 2014 general elections, said, "Rabbi has been invited as he is not merely a singer but a sensitive artiste, who is worried about the future of Punjab. He readily responded to our request. His presence will lift the morale of volunteers."

Apart from Rabbi's presence, what would come as a direct challenge to AAP leadership in the state at Rakhar Punia will be the presence of party's Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi and Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa at the volunteers' conference.

To strengthen his position, AAP state convener Chhotepur had repeatedly said there would be only one conference at Rakhar Punia.

