50 families in Punjab's Tarn Taran join AAP as rift deepens in Congress over hooch tragedy

In a major boost for Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab wing, 50 families joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led party in Punjab's Khemkaran village in Tarn Taran district on Friday. Taking to Twitter, AAP shared photos of the gathering, terming that the families were leaving 'traditional parties' and joining AAP. The AAP holds 19 seats in the 80-member Punjab Assembly, ruled by Congress' Captain Amarinder Singh. 

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50 families join AAP Punjab

Amid rift with CM, Punjab minister claims Congress MP Bajwa 'failed to prove himself'

Rift in Punjab Congress

This move comes amid a rift in Punjab Congress over CM Capt. Amarinder Singh's response to the hooch tragedy which has claimed 121 lives till date. Congress MPs-  Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo had demanded an “impartial and thorough” probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate into the illegal liquor business in Punjab. The MPs - who are also ex-party presidents in the state -  alleged that it was the failure of the CM and that the tragedy could have been averted if Singh had acted in their complaints. They have also questioned inaction against govt officials and police, who they allege were involved in the illicit liquor business. 

In response, Punjab Congress wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking disciplinary action against them. Moreover, on August 8, the Punjab government withdrew state police security from Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa after an assessment, concluding that Bajwa had virtually no threat perception and was now getting central security directly accorded by Union Home Ministry.  Punjab cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu too has claimed that the MP had not 'proved himself' inspite of the opportunities.

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AAP's 2017 Punjab campaign

In 2017, Congress which had roped in poll strategist Prashant Kishor for both Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi Assembly was successful in electing Captain Amarinder Singh as CM, beating AAP by a wide margin. While AAP tried to pitch Kejriwal's development policies against the Congress veteran, Singh cruised to an easy victory based on his 25-year-old political career. Incidentally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal roped in Kishor for his re-election bid in 2020. Kejriwal won the 2020 Assembly polls in Delhi by a landslide, winning 62 of the 70 seats and being sworn-in to a fourth term as CM.

BIG: Prashant Kishor roped in by Kejriwal for his re-election bid in 2020, against BJP