Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 16, 2021, 08:16 PM
Ludhiana: THE BHARATIYA Janata Party (BJP) on Friday suffered a jolt in the Malwa region, with 10 senior officer-bearers leaving the saffron party and joining the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, in Bathinda district.Among those who joined the SAD were Balwinder Singh (former state vice president Kisan Morcha, BJP), Sukhdev Singh Farmahi (former Mansa district president of BJP), Balkar Singh Sahota, Jagtar Singh Tari (former district president SC Morcha, BJP), Surjit Kaur (former woman morcha and president of Mansa district), Rajinder Kumar Raji, Baljit Singh Chahal, Bahadur Khan, Ravinder Kumar Sharma and Baghel Singh (BJP BC morcha member).While joining SAD, they said the decision was taken in protest against the three farm laws of the central government.The 10 BJP leaders were joined by a large number of their supporters, said SAD leaders. They assured the SAD president that more of their supporters would be joining the Akali Dal soon and they would do a function in this regard, added SAD leaders.Balwinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh Farmahi said, “We had forewarned the state BJP unit that it would not be left with any worker in the villages if it does not take back its anti-farmer step. However, when the party refused to heed our advice and instead asked us to defend the hated agricultural laws, we decided to listen to our conscience and quit the party, which we made with our own hands in Punjab. Now we will strengthen the hands of the farmer movement as well as SAD and Sukhbir Singh Badal.”Welcoming the BJP leaders into the Akali fold at a function organized at the party office in Bathinda, the SAD president said this would further strengthen the SAD in the district. He also assured them due respect and recognition in the party.Speaking to media persons, the SAD president added that in the next few days, BJP would suffer another major jolt as various other leaders from Malwa were making up their minds to enter the SAD fold.