After Bhagwant Mann took oath as Punjab’s CM, he resigned from the post of MP from Sangrur, due to with, the by-election is to be held soon in Sangrur parliamentary constituency. Though the election dates haven’t been announced yet, but the political temperature of Punjab has started rising.
On one hand, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has already declared Simranjit Singh Mann has been declared as the party candidate from Sangrur, the Congress party, BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the AAP are yet to announce their candidates. Amidst this, a buzz over two Congress leaders soon to leave the party, has caused worries amongst the Congress leadership.
As per the report of The Tribune, sources close to the leaders say over the past few days, they have been making queries on the possibility of joining the saffron party. “Despite the Punjab Congress pushing hard to revive itself, some party leaders do not see a political future with the grand old party over the next five years. Some former ministers in the previous Congress government are learnt to be among those looking for options outside the party,” said a senior party leader. PCC chief and Gidderbaha MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, however, dismissed the reports.
Recently, Sunil Jakhar, former MP from Gurdaspur and ex-PPCC chief, left the party and joined the BJP. As per the state level journalists, the saffron party may use Jakhar to bring some strong leaders from the Congress into the party fold. Though, earlier too, many leaders including former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, whose Punjab Lok Congress allied with the BJP, and other leaders like former minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, had left the grand old party and joined the BJP during the assembly elections, but all those who joined the BJP or supported it, faced a humiliating defeat in Punjab.
So now, the saffron party is eyeing on several leaders from the Congress as well as the other parties, to strengthen its organisational structure in Punjab. Though PPCC chief Raja Warring has dismissed the reports of any upcoming defections, but it has caused worries amongst the state as well as the national leadership of the Congress party. Reviving the grand old party again in Punjab, is one of the biggest challenge for the party leaders due to the defections.
