Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
India

Lok Sabha 2019: Ex-Congress Leader Jagmeet Brar Joins Akali Dal, Amarinder Singh Calls Him 'Opportunist'

Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Apr, 2019 08:00 PM

    Former Congress lawmaker Jagmeet Singh Brar today joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in the presence of party's senior leadership at Muktsar in Punjab.


    The five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia welcomed Mr Brar and his supporters into the party fold.


    Addressing the gathering, Parkash Singh Badal said: "It is a historic day for the party today as Punjab's well known personality, speaker and the most experienced politician Jagmeet Brar joins Akali Dal."


    On Thursday, Mr Brar had announced on Twitter that he was joining the SAD.


    A permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for 10 years, Brar was expelled from the Congress in 2016. He had later joined the Trinamool Congress and was the president of the party's state unit until last year when he quit.


    Mr Brar had defeated Sukhbir Singh Badal from Faridkot Lok Sabha seat in 1999 but lost to him in the 2004 general elections.


    Chief Minister Amarinder Singh mocked Mr Brar's "opportunistic, last-ditch resort" to rescue his political career after "failing" to wriggle his way back into the Congress.


    Citing a series of WhatsApp messages received from Brar over the last few weeks, Amarinder Singh said that the former MP was apparently desperate to get back into politics.


    However, he decided to go with the Badals, whom he had promised "to fix" if the Congress agreed to take him back, he said, adding that Brar had a political agenda to further and was ready to do it "by hook or by crook".


    The former lawmaker had, for the last several weeks, been trying "unabashedly" to get into the Congress but, with the party high command refusing to intervene and he (Amarinder) himself not responding to any of Mr Brar's desperate messages, the former MP had decided to throw his weight behind the SAD, the chief minister said in a statement.


    Clearly Mr Brar had decided to throw himself at the feet of the very Badals after his (the chief minister's) persistent refusal to acknowledge and respond to the former lawmakers desperate messages, the statement added.


    The Congress was better off without such "opportunistic and self-seeking" individuals, said Amarinder Singh, adding that he hoped Brar would be more loyal to the Badals than he had been to the Congress party, which was instrumental in shaping his political career.


    Amarinder also took a dig at the Badals for embracing Brar out of "sheer frustration" in the face of their imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, scheduled to be held in Punjab on May 19.


    They (the Badals) must be equally desperate, he said, to take in a "carpetbagger" like Brar, he said.


    It was laughable that Brar had joined the SAD just 10 days after seeking "forgiveness" for his acts and promising to give his "remaining years" to the ''Maharaja of Patiala'' and to "fix the Badals in Punjab".

     

    Mr Brar's last message was as recent as April 11, when he finally gave up any pretext of wanting to be a loyal soldier of the Congress led by Amarinder in Punjab and exposing his true intent of wanting a ticket to fight from Bathinda seat, the statement said further.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Only I Can Provide Strong Govt, Make India Superpower: Modi

    Only I Can Provide Strong Govt, Make India Superpower: Modi
    Appealing people to vote for a strong government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said only he can provide a strong government at the Centre and make it a superpower.

    Only I Can Provide Strong Govt, Make India Superpower: Modi

    Goons Get Preference In Congress: Priyanka Chaturvedi Attacks Own Party

    Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday went public to slam her party for reinstating a group of Uttar Pradesh leaders who had allegedly misbehaved with her during a recent event at Lucknow.

    Goons Get Preference In Congress: Priyanka Chaturvedi Attacks Own Party

    Malegaon Blast Accused Sadhvi Pragya Joins BJP; Is Up Against Digvijay Singh In Bhopal

    The announcement was made hours after Sadhvi Pragya joined the BJP and said that she would "fight against those who are conspiring against the nation."    

    Malegaon Blast Accused Sadhvi Pragya Joins BJP; Is Up Against Digvijay Singh In Bhopal

    Gurdaspur: Four Suspects Arrested In April 5 Shooting Of Hindu Leader Ajay Thakur

    Police said that one of the four suspects was detained at Panipat. With Wednesday’s arrests, police claim they have “cracked” the case.

    Gurdaspur: Four Suspects Arrested In April 5 Shooting Of Hindu Leader Ajay Thakur

    Election 2019: Why Chandrashekhar 'Ravan' Made A U-Turn On Fighting PM Modi In Varanasi

    Chandrashekhar "Ravan" Azad had earlier said he won't contest from Varanasi if his candidature "strengthened" PM Narendra Modi.

    Election 2019: Why Chandrashekhar 'Ravan' Made A U-Turn On Fighting PM Modi In Varanasi

    In Bihar, Sidhu Urges Muslims To Vote En Bloc And Defeat Modi - WATCH

    In Bihar, Sidhu Urges Muslims To Vote En Bloc And Defeat Modi - WATCH
    Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has stoked controversy by urging Muslim voters of a Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar with sizeable population of the minority community to vote en bloc and defeat (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi.

    In Bihar, Sidhu Urges Muslims To Vote En Bloc And Defeat Modi - WATCH