Punjab Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal quits party, joins AAP

PUNJAB: Punjab Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal an MLA from Chabbewal on Friday announced his resignation from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect. A short while later Chabbewal joined the Punjab unit of the Aam Admi Party.

In its welcome message the AAP Punjab unit posted on X, "The family of AAP Punjab strengthened, current MLA from Chabewal Constituency of Hoshiarpur District Rajkumar Chabewal ji joined the Aam Aadmi Party after being influenced by the pro-people policies of the party. We welcome Raj Chabbewal to the party."

Earlier, in his brief resignation letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, he had said, "I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress with immediate effect".

In another letter to the Punjab Assembly Speaker, which he also posted on X, Chabbewal, wrote, "I hereby submit my resignation from membership of legislative assembly, Punjab, with immediate effect". Chabbewal did not mention any reason for his resignation.

Chabbewal was re-elected from Chabbewal in the 2022 State Assembly elections.

In Punjab, Congress and Aam Admi Party (AAP), who are partners in the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the Modi-led BJP government, will fight elections separately in the Lok Sabha elections despite sealing a seat-sharing pact in New Delhi.

AAP on Thursday announced its first list of eight candidates for the Lok Sabha elections from Punjab, becoming the first party to have announced its candidates.

There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab with four seats reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress-led UPA alliance clinched 8 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to secure four. The AAP, which was contesting for the first time in the state won one seat.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal denied speculations of reaching any alliance with the BJP but did not entirely rule out the possibility of a tie-up in future.

The Akalis were partners of the BJP earlier in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and the two even contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state together but failed to come up with the goods.

"Neither myself nor the BJP is aware of any alliance in Punjab. This (speculations of a tie-up) is only confined to social media. At this moment, we are keen on contesting all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state. We have an alliance with the BSP...but I am not ruling out (the possibility of a tie-up with the BJP). Like-minded parties that want to save Punjab are most welcome to join us. We cannot and will not go with the Congress or the 'broom' (AAP)," the SAD chief, leaving the alliance door open.

The Election Commission is scheduled to announce the poll dates for the Lok Sabha elections along with some state assemblies on Saturday.