Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Jagmeet Brar on Monday raised a voice of dissent against the party's patch-up with the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) and leaving the Bathinda seat for Manpreet Badal, saying he might consider the option to join the Aam Admi Party (AAP) in case the Congress did not take a U-turn on this "damaging move".
"The move will benefit only the Badals' dynastic rule, be it Harsimrat or Manpreet, and damage the Congress
not only in the Malwa region but in the entire state," Brar told HT here.
"I am in a quitting mood, and in case the party (Congress) does not re-consider its decision (leaving Bathinda seat for Manpreet), I would have to decide," he explained, when asked about the rumours of his joining AAP.
Saying that there was a heavy resentment over the Congress-PPP pact in the Malwa area, Brar said the only difference was that Capt Amaridner Singh was tight-lipped over his opposition to the move.
He said he had sent his resentment letter to the Congress high command via e-mail, pointing out that the Punjab Congress leaders at large were not taken into confidence and the matter was never discussed with senior party leaders, including him and former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
"Two of the Congress MLAs from the Malwa region are already out to join the Akali Dal," he said, refusing to divulge the names.
{{/usCountry}}"Two of the Congress MLAs from the Malwa region are already out to join the Akali Dal," he said, refusing to divulge the names.
{{/usCountry}}Brar said he gave 35 years to the Congress and was only 22 when Indira Gandhi pitched him in an electoral battle against Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal in 1980. "I was the only one within the Congress to challenge the Badals in the 1985 assembly elections, when Punjab was burning," he said.
"The Congress found a challenge to the Badals in me only in the 1996, 1998 and 1999 elections (from Faridkot)," he said.
On AAP, he said, "Of course, there is a wave of AAP in Punjab."