In a major fillip to the ruling party ahead of the Shahkot by-election, Apna Punjab Party district president joined the Punjab Congress on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
The Chief Minister welcomed Dr Jagtar Singh Chandi and his supporters into the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), saying that it was a sign of the growing confidence of the people in the Congress government policies and programmes.
It was evident that leaders and workers from various opposition parties were keen to join the secular and democratic Indian National Congress, which had proved its commitment to the welfare of the people of Punjab, he said.
Expressing gratitude towards Capt Amarinder, Dr Chandi said that he and his colleagues were feeling let down and suffocated in their party due to its autocratic style of functioning.
Those who joined the Congress party included Sarpanch and Nambardar Makhan Singh (Kotla Suraj Mall village), Sarpanch Balkar Singh Gill (Fajalwal village), Sarpanch Gurdev Singh (Kania Khurd village), Jagtar Singh, Swaran Singh, Bhajan Singh Baupur, Mohinder Singh, and Akashpreet Singh Kamboj.