Their return to Congress is being seen as a blow to the state BJP, particularly the present state unit chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar, who had left Congress to join BJP in 2022.
Eight leaders from BJP and SAD, who were originally from Congress, have returned to the grand-old party. (Supplied)
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, around eight turncoat leaders, who had joined the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), have now moved on to the Congress. It is “ghar wapsi” for all of them as they were initially from the Congress.
Their return to the Congress is being seen as a blow to the state BJP, particularly the present state unit president Sunil Kumar Jakhar. He too had left the Congress to join the BJP in May 2022.
Eight leaders from BJP and SAD, who were originally from Congress, have returned to the grand-old party. (Supplied)
Former ministers Raj Kumar Verka, Balbir Sidhu, and Gurpreet Kangar, former Mohali mayor Amarjit Singh, and Kamaljit Dhillon came from the BJP and former minister Hans Raj Josan, ex-MLAs Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, and Mohinder Kumar Rinwa have come from SAD.
It will be a major political boost for the Congress as the leaders insisted that only the Congress can unify and be just to all segments of society.
They were re-inducted into the party by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary KC Venugopal in the presence of Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa.
Bajwa said that the Congress will gain from their return. “This will motivate the party cadres in the state,” he said.
“Unlike the Congress, the BJP has not been able to accommodate all sections of society. So, leaving my mother’s party was my fault. We have corrected our mistake,” said Verka.
A formal ceremony to welcome the new inductions into the Congress will be held in Chandigarh. There is speculation that even former minister Sunder Sham Arora, who joined the BJP in June last year, may return to the Congress soon.
If that happens, Punjab former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and former PCC president Sunil Jakhar will be the only two ex-Congressmen left in the BJP.
Meanwhile, amidst speculations of Captain Amarinder aiding this switchover, he has issued a statement refuting the same.
“I had no knowledge of some leaders leaving the party, leave aside facilitating it, as has been reported baselessly and maliciously. My decision to join the BJP was well thought and irreversible. I am committed to the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP president JP Nadda for whatever role and duty they assign to me,” he said, in a statement.
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