Six key Congress leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party during Home Minister's Chandigarh visit.
Highlights
- Six Congress leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday.
- The leader joined the saffron fold during Home Minister's visit to Chandigarh.
- Apart from the Congress leaders, two SAD leaders also joined BJP.
Six Congress leaders joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's Chandigarh visit on Saturday. There are rumours that four Punjab Congress leaders were already lined up to join the party. During Shah's visit, the leader also met deceased singer Sidhu Moose Wala's family members, who demanded a central probe into their son's death.
Ahead of Home Minister's Chandigarh visit on Saturday, a video surfaced on social media, showing four senior Congress leaders and former ministers with BJP leader Sunil Jakhar, fuelling speculation that they may join the saffron party.
News agency ANI reported that Congress leaders Raj K Verka, Gurpreet S Kangar, Balbir Sidhu, Kewal S Dhillon, Sunder Sham Arora, Kamaljeet S Dhillon and SAD leaders Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh and Sarup Chand Singla joined BJP. Mohali mayor Amarjeet S Sidhu, too, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is also seen in the video, shared it on social media. Those who could be seen in the video, are former ministers and senior Congress leaders Raj Kumar Verka, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sunder Sham Arora and Gurpreet Singh Kangar.
Balbir Sidhu, a three-time MLA from Mohali, was the health minister in the previous Congress government while Gurpreet Kangar, who is also a three-time MLA from Rampura Phul, was the revenue minister.
Verka, a prominent Dalit leader from the Majha region, is also a three-time legislator and was the minister for social justice and empowerment and minorities in the previous government.
Sunder Sham Arora, a former MLA from Hoshiarpur, was the Industry and Commerce Minister in the previous Congress government.
All four leaders lost the 2022 state assembly polls. Former Congress MLA from Barnala Kewal Dhillon is likely to join the BJP, sources said.
Apart from these, there was also a buzz that former Akali Dal MLA Sarup Chand Singla may also join the BJP. Shah is arriving in Chandigarh where he will be meeting state party leaders before going to Haryana's Panchkula to inaugurate the Khelo India Youth Games.
