EX-MLA Khangura returns to Cong after two years

Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader and former party MLA from Qila Raipur Jasbir Singh ‘Jassi’ Khangura on Wednesday returned to the party after staying with AAP for about two years. Khangura, a prominent leader and a former NRI from UK, had left the Congress in 2022 and joined AAP, and resigned from the party sometime ago to return to the Congress. Welcoming Khangura back into the party, the state party affairs in-charge Devendra Yadav said that not only will his rejoining the Congress strengthen the party in Ludhiana but also in the entire state. “Khangura is known for his fierce and firebrand oratorical skills and is also quite popular among the NRI community,” Yadav said.

SAD expels Harjinder Kaur for “sabotaging party in Chd”, supporting BJP’s Tandon

Chandigarh: SAD on Wednesday expelled SGPC member from Chandigarh Harjinder Kaur from the primary membership of the party for indulging in anti-party activities with immediate effect. The decision was taken by the party’s secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhundur following a number of complaints from SAD’s Chandigarh unit that Harjinder Kaur was willfully sabotaging the party in the Union Territory by unilaterally supporting the candidature of BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon. Bhundur said that he had received video evidence of Harjinder Kaur’s anti-party activities and was compelled to take this drastic step to send out a clear signal that SAD would not tolerate such unethical conduct on the part of the SGPC member. “This is not the first time that the SGPC member had gone against the principles of the party. Earlier also, we had received complaints that Bibi Harjinder had compromised with the BJP and had even received important posts in lieu of extending support to the saffron party. However, we gave her a long rope in the hope that she would realize her mistakes and conduct and return to the panthic fold wholeheartedly. However, this time, the SGPC member has crossed a line by openly campaigning for the BJP candidate in Chandigarh,” he said.

AAP got a boost in Doaba, BSP candidate from Hoshiarpur joins AAP

Chandigarh: AAP got a boost in the Doaba region on Wednesday. Giving BSP a setback, its well-known Dalit leader and party candidate from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat Rakesh Soman joined AAP. He was formally inducted into the party by AAP Punjab President and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Soman was a senior leader of BSP, and has also been the general secretary of the Punjab Congress Committee. He has a good hold and popularity among the Dalit people of Hoshiarpur and surrounding areas. Him leaving the party is a jolt to the BSP and his presence is going to be very helpful to AAP in Hoshiarpur. Soman, after joining AAP, said that the Chief Minister Mann is doing a lot of good work for the poor, Dalits and marginalized communities. Impressed by his work of the last two years, I decided to join AAP. In a surprising turn of events, it has come to light that Soman, a candidate in the ongoing elections, was disqualified from contesting due to an alleged error in the deletion of his vote. According to available information, his vote was mistakenly removed from the records, rendering him ineligible to participate in the electoral process. Despite efforts by the candidate and party leaders, including an application submitted to the CEO Punjab just a day before, no resolution has been reached. The BSP has leveled accusations against AAP, claiming that the deletion of Soman’s vote was a deliberate tactic orchestrated by the opposing party.