In a big jolt to Congress, its five key leaders in Punjab joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party office in Chandigarh on Saturday.
Those who joined the saffron party are former ministers and senior Congress leaders Raj Kumar Verka, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sunder Sham Arora and Gurpreet Singh Kangar. Former Congress MLA from Barnala Kewal Dhillon also switched to the BJP. Besides these, party leader Kamaljeet S Dhillon also joined the BJP.
Apart from these, former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Sarup Chand Singla and expelled party leader Mohinder Kaur Josh also joined the BJP.
Mohali mayor Amarjeet S Sidhu also joined the party on the day.
Of the Congress leader who joined BJP, Verka is a prominent Dalit leader from the Majha region. He is also a three-time legislator and was the minister for social justice and empowerment and minorities in the previous government.
Balbir Sidhu, who also joined the BJP, is a three-time MLA from Mohali. Sidhu was the health minister in the previous Congress government while Gurpreet Kangar, who is also a three-time MLA from Rampura Phul, was revenue minister.
Sunder Sham Arora is a former MLA from Hoshiarpur. He was the Industry and Commerce minister in the previous Congress government.
