Former PPCC chief and ex-Congress stalwart Sunil Jakhar, who recently quit the grand old party, has joined the BJP in Delhi at 1.30 PM today. Jakhar has been in the national capital since he quit the Congress party. Though he praised former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his Facebook LIVE, but lashed out at some ‘chaploos’ leaders who advices the Congress high command. As per the sources, Jakhar may be nominated for the Rajya Sabha and would be given some responsibility in Punjab and also would bring more Congressmen into BJP fold.
While joining the Saffron party, Sunil Jakhar said, “It was not an easy task. Jakhar family had been a loyalist of the Congress party for three generations. Today, I have joined the BJP not due to any of my personal issues with Congress, but because of nationalism, Punjab’s ‘bhaicharak sanjh’, and for the betterment of the state under the leadership of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. I am thankful to BJP president Shri JP Nadda Ji for welcoming me into the party fold, and even extend my gratitude to Shri Anil Baluni Ji, Purvesh Verma Ji and all the other BJP leaders. Together we will work for Punjab’s progress and prosperity.”
On Facebook LIVE on Saturday, he said “Good luck and goodbye to Congress”. The Congress had last month removed him from all positions for alleged anti-party activities. Jakhar expressed his displeasure over being served a notice from party leader Tariq Anwar who he said was the person who once called Sonia Gandhi a foreigner.
As per Jakhar, he was removed as PPCC chief in July 2021 as he was close to the then CM Capt Amarinder Singh. Jakhar had rejected the charges against him and said his statement was twisted and taken out of context. He had also expressed regret if anybody was hurt by his comments. In his ‘dil ki baat’ Facebook live, Jakhar said the Udaipur meeting was nothing more than fulfilling a formality and should have been a “chinta shivir” instead of a “chintan shivir”.
Stating that Congress governments had always faced allegations of kitchen cabinet and coteries, Jakhar alleged that in his 20 years of active politics “coteries have now turned into gangs”.
Jakhar quitting the Congress party and joining the BJP, is seen as a major jolt to the grand old party in not only Punjab but even at the national level. Sunil Jakhar’s father Balram Jakhar was also a big name in the Indian politics, who was the longest serving Lok Sabha speaker and even served as the governor of Madhya Pradesh. Ending the decade long relation with the Congress party, Sunil Jakhar has joined the BJP today. His induction in the BJP may benefit the saffron party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
