The trend of Congress leaders quitting the grand old party for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is continuing unabated. After the six unseated MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, and former MP Naveen Jindal in Haryana, it is the turn of the Congress in Punjab to be given a big jolt. Three-time Congress Lok Sabha member, currently representing the Ludhiana constituency in the state Ravneet Singh Bittu today quit the party and joined the BJP in New Delhi.
The formalities were completed at a press conference in New Delhi where the national general secretary of the saffron party Vinod Tawde welcomed Bittu to the party fold.
The joining comes a day after state BJP president Sunil Jakhar announced that the party will contest the lok sabha elections 2024 on its own, putting an end to the suspense over stitching a poll alliance with its old ally in the state Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Bittu has been representing the Ludhiana constituency in the Lok Sabha since 2014, before which the assassinated Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s grandson won his first lok sabha elections from Anandpur Sahib in 2009. Beant Singh was killed in a bomb blast triggered by Khalistani terrorists in the heavily guarded state secretariat complex in 1995.
Bittu has been vocal against terrorism and terrorist groups and has reported received threats on several occasions to silence his voice.
During his joining press conference Ravneet Singh claimed that he was joining the BJP to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who have always had big plans for the development and progress of Punjab and for the farmers and farm labourers. While other states were progressing rapidly, Punjab was being left behind, he added.
On the other hand, while looking visibly disturbed over the development, state Congress President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring tried to put up a brave face saying that Bittu’s exit will not make any difference to the electoral prospects of the party in the state.
