Chandigarh, September 8, 2023: As per media reports, three former ministers in the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government may rejoin the parent party ahead of the 2024 General Election, said leaders privy to the development.
In the run up to the 2024 parliamentary elections, the Punjab Congress leadership is learnt to be in talks with some of its former leaders, who had joined the BJP last year, for their homecoming.
According to the news published in The Tribune, seven former ministers in the Congress government, besides former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, had joined the BJP. Officially, the party leadership is tight-lipped about its strategy to rope in these senior leaders.
At least, three former ministers in the previous Amarinder Singh-led Congress government may re-join the parent party ahead of the coming General Election, said leaders privy to the development.
Based on a ground survey, the Congress leadership is keen on finalising certain leaders for their return to the party ahead of the elections, keeping in mind certain parliamentary seats.
The former Congress ministers who had joined the BJP are Manpreet Badal, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Raj Kumar Verka, Sunder Sham Arora, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Rana Gurmeet Sodhi. In the coming days, the Congress leadership is planning to announce certain joinings.
Meanwhile, PPCC chief Amarinder Raja Warring confirmed that some AAP MLAs and other leaders were keen to join the Congress as they were feeling suffocated there. “I cannot name them, but the sole criteria will be winnability and political presence of the candidate. The final decision will be taken after consultation with the party high command,” he said.
Warring said the party had started the ‘Charcha Punjab Di’ campaign to connect with party cadre and workers in all 117 constituencies across the state.
