SAD, AAP leaders join Congress in Phillaur

Our Correspondent

Phillaur, January 23

In a big blow to the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party in Phillaur, former SAD youth president of Phillaur city Sukhwinder Singh, vice-president Lovepreet Singh, Harpreet Singh Dhesi, Gurpreet Singh, Narinder Kumar (Vicky Pehalwan) and former AAP youth leader Parbhjinder Singh Malhi joined the Congress party in the presence of Member of Parliament Santokh Singh Chaudhary and Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary here on Saturday night.

“The Congress-led government has worked for the development of Punjab and people’s welfare. Other parties have no principles and their only motive is gaining power by any means. That is why we left SAD and AAP and joined the Congress,” they said.

MP Chaudhary and the Congress candidate Vikramjit Chaudhary welcomed the leaders and said their joining the Congress would strengthen the party. He said it was the Congress leadership that gave Punjab first-ever Dalit chief minister.

“Every political party only made hollow promises to the poor and marginalised, but it is only the Congress that has implemented robust welfare programmes for them. Our government has waived loans, increased pensions, and given pucca houses to the poor. We made our government schools number one in India so that everyone could access the best educational opportunities,” Chaudhary said while addressing election meetings in Langrian, Navan Pind Naicha, Jand and Dallewal villages.

These villages have traditionally been considered strongholds of the Bahujan Samaj Party, but the ground reports now indicate strong support for the Congress.

Village Jand’s BSP sarpanch Gurmail Ram too threw his weight behind the Congress candidate Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary.