In a setback to the Congress, sitting chairmen of two corporations, Amarjit Singh Tikka and Sukhwinder Singh Bindra, and national secretary, Indian Youth Congress (IYC), Daaman Bajwa, joined the BJP.
Bajwa, the only elected women chief of the NSUI in Punjab to date, was the only ticket aspirant from the Sunam assembly constituency and was annoyed over the party preferring Jaswinder Dhiman, nephew of Congress MLA Surjit Dhiman.
Daaman even had filed nomination from Sunam after she was denied ticket, but later had withdrawn nomination after pursuance by some senior Congress leaders.
Notably, all three prominent leaders had met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ludhiana on Sunday.
“We met Rahul, but he gave us only 30 seconds. I was denied a ticket because the party wanted to adjust the nephew of an MLA. The Congress doesn’t have respect for the genuine workers,” said Bajwa. Along with her, Sunam, municipal committee chairman Nishan Singh Tony also joined the BJP.
Tikka, chairman, Punjab Medium Industry Development Board, disclosed that he had made up his mind to join the BJP when the Prime Minister announced December 26 as Bal Veer Diwas in the memory of younger Sahibzadas, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
{{/usCountry}}Tikka, chairman, Punjab Medium Industry Development Board, disclosed that he had made up his mind to join the BJP when the Prime Minister announced December 26 as Bal Veer Diwas in the memory of younger Sahibzadas, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
{{/usCountry}}He levelled serious charges against the Congress government in the state led by Charanjit Singh Channi and alleged that tickets are being sold in Punjab to spend the money for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
Bindra, who is the chairman of the Youth Development Board, said the youth had great expectations from the BJP government as it encouraged honest and hardworking people.
Capt Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, president, Ex-Serviceman wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Jagdeep Badal, grandson of veteran Akali leader Gurdev Singh Badal also joined the BJP.
Actors Mahie Gill, Hobby Dhaliwal join BJP
Earlier in the day, Bollywood actress Mahie Gill and Punjabi actor Hobby Dhaliwal joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union minister and the party’s Punjab election in-charge Gajendra Shekhawat in Chandigarh on Monday.
Dev D star Mahie Gill is an award-winning actress, while Dhaliwal is often seen in the role of a villain in Punjabi films.
Gill said she wanted to serve the people of Punjab, especially girls, and had joined the BJP because it was the only party that could serve Punjab better. “I want to do something for girls. I want to raise issues related to girls. Now, I have got a medium to do so,” she said.
Dhaliwal was a critic of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the farm protests, but said he chose to join the party after listening to the PM’s vision for Punjab. “Moreover, Modi decided to withdraw the three laws and humbly extended his apology too. That is the main reason behind my change of heart,” said the actor, who after joining the BJP was widely trolled on social media.