Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar joins BJP days after quitting party

Former Congress leader Sunil Jakhar joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on May 19. Jakhar, the former  Punjab Congress chief, had quit the party on May 14.

"Three generations of my family served the Congress party over the last 50 years. Today, I have broken the 50-year-old tie with the Congress over issues of nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab," Jakhar said after joining the BJP in presence of BJP national president JP Nadda.

READ : Senior Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar quits party

Jakhar, a Congress veteran, was recently issued a show-cause notice by the Congress leadership over his criticism of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Jakhar, a prominent non-Sikh face of Punjab, is the second Congress leader to join hands with the BJP's after former CM Captain Amarinder Singh allied his party with the BJP.

Former Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar joins Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of party president JP Nadda in Delhi pic.twitter.com/eoUHhHH1Ul

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2022

"I welcome Sunil Jakhar to Bharatiya Janata Party. He is an experienced political leader who made a name for himself during his political career. I am confident he will play a big role in strengthening the party in Punjab," Nadda said.

Also, read | Congress' Chintan Shivir | Hindutva to leadership issues, some unanswered questions remain

Jakhar had resigned on a day when Congress party was holding a three-day brainstorming session in Rajasthan’s Udaipur. Last month, the Congress' disciplinary panel had recommended that Jakhar be suspended from the party for two years and removed from all posts.