Punjab AAP MLA claims Cong, SAD, BJP leaders in touch, may join party ahead of elections

Ahead of the 2022 polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday said that many senior Congress, SAD and BJP leaders in Punjab were in touch with members of his party. Cheema claimed that the leaders may soon join AAP. The remark from the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly came after meeting some businessmen.

The AAP leader was answering a query on expelled BJP leader Anil Joshi when he made the remark. He said, "Many senior leaders of the Congress, the BJP and the Akali Dal were in touch with the leaders of his party and they have expressed desire to join the Aam Aadmi Party." Joshi was expelled from the Punjab BJP for six years on Saturday after his alleged anti-party activities.

While responding to another question regarding his party’s preparations for the Punjab Assembly elections, Cheema said that AAP would fight the polls on its own. Earlier on July 2, two-time BJP MLA and prominent Schedule Tribe Leader, H.D. Basavaraju had joined AAP.

Anil Joshi expelled from the BJP

Senior leader and Former Punjab minister Anil Joshi was expelled from the BJP on Saturday. The legislator was expelled for six years following an outburst against the state and the central leadership on mishandling the farm protests. The party had termed it as an ‘anti-party activity.’

A two-time legislator, Joshi had openly blamed the party’s state leadership for not providing correct feedback to the Centre on the farm laws. The two-time legislator had earlier demanded a revocation of the three farm laws.

Following his expulsion, some senior state BJP leaders including former chief parliamentary secretary KD Bhandari had come out in support of Joshi. “Expulsion of a senior leader who gave 35 years of his life to the party is very unfortunate. Joshi spoke for farmers and communal harmony and in no way, this was an anti-party activity,” KD Bhandari said while urging the leadership to reconsider the decision.

IMAGE: ANIL JOSHI/ HARPAL SINGH CHEEMA TWITTER