Punjab polls: More SAD, Cong leaders join BJP

New Delhi, December 29

Ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, former Akali leaders Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Ravipreet Sidhu and Harbhag Singh Desu, and former Congress MLA Shamsher Singh Rai today joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat.

With an aim to expand its base in Punjab, the BJP has been roping in leaders from various political parties, including the Congress.

Meanwhile, Shekhawat said the BJP was ready for virtual election rallies and would follow the EC guidelines regarding polls in the wake of the surge in Omicron cases. “Conducting elections is the responsibility of the Election Commission. It is holding talks with the Health Secretary and experts over the pandemic situation in the country. The poll panel will take a decision on election rallies and we will follow its guidelines,” he told mediapersons here.

Shekhawat said the BJP held virtual rallies during the West Bengal elections as well. “During the first and second waves of Covid, political parties around the globe went under hibernation, but the BJP remained active at the booth level through the virtual platform. We can work under any circumstances,” he said. — TNS

Switching loyalties

The way eminent personalities, elected representatives and influential people from different walks of life are joining the BJP shows which way the wind is blowing in Punjab. — Gajendra Shekhawat, Union minister