Chandigarh: Barely two weeks after former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar joined BJP, four former Punjab cabinet ministers - Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sunder Sham Arora, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, and Raj Kumar Verka - joined the saffron party. Six others - four from Congress and two from SAD - also left their parties for BJP.
Former MLA from Barnala and expelled Congress leader Kewal Singh Dhillon, considered close to former CM and now Punjab Lok Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh, also joined the saffron party. Former health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu’s brother and Mohali mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu also embraced BJP. Other leaders to jump onto the saffron bandwagon are former Congress leader and four-time former MLA from Samrala Amrik Singh Dhillon and his grandson Karanvir Singh Dhillon, who is president of the Samrala municipal council. Jakhar is believed to have played a big role in the exodus of leaders.
All four former cabinet ministers first met Jakhar at his residence in Panchkula. Later, they also held a meeting at Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence, where Union minister Shekhawat and Delhi BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa were present.
