Chandigarh, October 23
Several leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal from Sri Muktsar Sahib joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday in the presence of Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon. Those who joined the BJP included Maninder Singh Mehndi, former municipal councillor and Shiromani Akali Dal circle president; Navneet Singh Navi Brar, in-charge of the Punjab IT Cell and vice-president of SOI Punjab; Harmeet Singh Buttar, a youth Akali leader; Harmander Pal Pehlwan, a youth leader and fitness coach; and Lakhvir Singh Khirkianwala, a youth Akali leader.
Welcoming the leaders into the BJP family, Dhillon said their induction reflected the growing confidence of Punjabis in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He said the BJP’s support base in Punjab was steadily expanding, with leaders and workers from various political parties joining the organisation. He added that people across Punjab, particularly the youth, were placing their trust in the BJP’s policies and development agenda.
Dhillon said Punjab was currently grappling with serious challenges, including drug abuse, gangsterism, extortion, deteriorating law and order, corruption and mounting debt. He alleged that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had failed to address these issues.
He said the people of Punjab had experienced governments led by various political parties and that a growing sentiment among the public was to give the BJP an opportunity this time. Expressing confidence that the BJP would form the government in Punjab, Dhillon said the party would work to restore the state’s prosperity and revive the legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s era, when Punjab was governed under the historic Sarkar-i-Khalsa. BJP district president Kuldeep Singh Bhangewala was also present on the occasion.
