Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who had this week tweeted “good luck and good bye’” to the Congress leadership , joined the BJP here on Thursday in the presence of party president J P Nadda. Jakhar said he had to quit Congress as he opposed its “divisive politics” and asserted he would play an important role for the BJP in Punjab.
Last month, the Congress' disciplinary panel had recommended that Jakhar be suspended from the party for two years and removed from all posts."I had to leave after I was put in the dock for asserting that Punjab cannot be divided," Jakhar ,68, said, in a reference to the Congress selection of Charanjit Singh Channi as the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab before the assembly poll which the Congress lost to the AAP. Jakhar was one of the strong aspirants for the post of the Chief Ministership in Punjab.
"Three generations of my family served the Congress party over the last 50 years. Today,
I have broken the 50-year-old tie with the party over issues of nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab," Jakhar said addressing the newspersons at the BJP head office.
He claimed he had to leave the Congress as he was questioned for raising issues against divisive politics. "When a party deviates from its values and principles, it is ideal to quit it," said Jakhar.
"There were some fundamental issues. There was no personal dispute. The dispute was regarding nationalism and the integrity of Punjab. The harmony of the state which could not be broken by bullets of AK-47 rifles," he said.
Welcoming Jakhar, Nadda said the senior politician would play a “big role” in the state.
"I welcome Sunil Jakhar to Bharatiya Janata Party. He is an experienced political leader who made a name for himself during his political career. I am confident he will play a big role in strengthening the party in Punjab," Nadda said after Jakhar was given the party membership.
"There are issues in Punjab which are detrimental to the security in the border state and to defeat such forces, leaders with strong belief in nationalism are welcome," said the BJP president.
BJP, which is seeking to spread its political wings in the border state by going solo next time, seeks to rope-in more experienced leaders to the party fold. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reaching –out to Sikhs in Punjab for some time with many delegations from Punjab being invited to the PM’s residence.
The break with the SAD on the farmers' issue has given “opportunity” to the BJP to expand its political base in the sensitive border state where AAP has formed its first government trouncing a faction-ridden Congress.