AAP leader joins BJP in Gidderbaha

Sharma had been sulking after AAP named former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon as its candidate for the bypoll in Gidderbaha

AAP leader Pritpal Sharma in Punjab’s Gidderbaha assembly segment joined the BJP on Saturday in the presence of Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.

Sharma, AAP’ Gidderbaha halqa in-charge, resigned from the party on October 24.

Sharma, who was chairman of the market committee in Gidderbaha, had been sulking after AAP named former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon as its candidate for the bypoll in Gidderbaha.

Sharma said Dhillon was with the Shiromai Akali Dal (SAD) for decades, and the party fielded him after joining him in the AAP two months ago.

He charged the AAP leadership for overlooking the committed volunteers who fought politically against the SAD leader but the AAP preferred a turncoat Akali over its own workers.

Sharma had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly elections from the segment.

Alongside Bittu, the BJP’s Punjab unit general secretary Anil Sarin and state media head Vineet Joshi, were present when Sharma joined the party.

Bypolls to four assembly seats — Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala — are scheduled to be held on November 13. The results will be declared on November 23.