JOIN USTough times for Congress: Jakhar joins BJP, Hardik exploring options
When former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar joined the BJP on Thursday, Congress reacted with the usual ‘we knew it’ response but the continued desertions of leaders have put a big question over its ability to hold its flock together.
On Wednesday, the face of Congress’ 2017 Gujarat elections quit slamming the party and exploring options ranging from BJP to AAP while Jakhar, who had announced his resignation on Facebook on May 14, joined the BJP on Thursday saying he broke his family’s 50-year-old ties with Congress over “issues of nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab”. Sunil is son of veteran Congressman late Balram Jakhar.
Giving chills to the party, senior Congress leader from Haryana Kuldeep Bishnoi on Thursday met BJP’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, raising speculation of his joining the BJP. Bishnoi is the son of another Congress veteran and former Haryana Chief Minister late Bhajan Lal.
While Jakhar had openly voiced his anguish at being sidelined in the race for leadership in the Punjab unit of Congress and reminded the party leadership that he was a more favoured choice of MLAs for replacement of Captain Amarinder Singh than Charanjit Singh Channi or Navjot Sidhu. While Jakhar accused Congress of taking action against him because he spoke against its ‘politics of religion and caste’, Congress state chief Amarinder Singh Warring said his joining the BJP was “not unexpected” and that he had started working for the saffron party long before.
A day before Congress had reacted in a similar manner when Hardik Patel quit. Venting ire, AICC general secretary Shaktsinh Gohil claimed that youth leaders, who switched to BJP have been reduced to zero.
Facts belie the claim. Once number two in Assam Congress Himanta Biswa Sarma became Chief Minister of the state seven years after he joined the BJP. So was the case with Manik Saha in Tripura and N Biren Singh in Manipur. Not only in states but even at the central level leaders like Chaudhary Birender Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the party became Union Ministers.
With the Congress yet to get on a winning course and the young leaders in the party turning restless and looking for opportunity, more desertions are likely. RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada from UP were key Congress leaders, who joined the BJP in recent times.