Former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal joined the BJP on Wednesday and slammed the Congress, which he quit before starting his new political innings, for factionalism.
He lauded the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, saying India has emerged strong, including diplomatically and economically, under their nearly nine-year rule.
Voicing concern over the state of affairs in Punjab, he said the state is “slipping” and the BJP is the only party which can meet the challenges facing it.
On his decision to quit the Congress, he said how can one operate in a party which is at “war with itself. Not only in Punjab but in many states, the party is full of factions”.
Union minister Piyush Goyal, who was present during his joining ceremony at the BJP headquarters here, was effusive in his praise of Badal.
Badal is erudite, simple and experienced and was also guided by larger national interest during the GST council meeting when he represented Punjab as it finance minister, Goyal said.
It is a golden day and his joining the BJP will further strengthen its bond with Sikhs, the senior BJP leader said.
Earlier in his resignation letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Badal said he was “disillusioned” by the party.
“I devoted every ounce of energy to every office I have had the honour of holding, both in the party and the government. I thank you for having provided me these opportunities and for the kindness and courtesy you have shown me in the past,” he said in the letter which he posted on his Twitter handle.
“Regretfully, given the prevalent culture within the party and the defiant desire in the present course, I no longer wish to be a part of the Indian National Congress,” he said.
Badal, who served as the finance minister in the previous Congress government, said, “Seven years ago, I merged the People’s Party of Punjab with your party. I did so with immense hope and an expectation of being integrated into an organisation with a rich history that would allow me to serve both the people of Punjab and its interests to the best of my ability.” “Initial enthusiasm gradually gave way to disappointing disillusionment,” he added.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday dubbed Manpreet Singh Badal’s resignation from the party as “good riddance”, terming him as “congenitally power hungry.” Badal joined the BJP in Delhi after quitting the Congress.
“Good riddance. @MSBADAL is congenitally power hungry. He joined @INCIndia knowing party was winning. 5 yrs is long time for someone like him to stay out of power for reasons not unknown to anyone.Instead of crying martyrdom, he should be apologising to Congress for betrayal,” Warring tweeted.
In another tweet, he said, “No Mir Jafar has ever risen to remain a king be remembered for, their ignominious fate remains etched in political history of India.” Badal, who is the nephew of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, had joined the Congress in 2016 after he formally merged his own party People’s Party of Punjab with the grand old party.
After Badal lost from the Bathinda Urban seat in the 2022 state assembly polls, he was not visible in party’s meetings.
The differences between Badal and Warring were known in party circles.
Badal is another senior most leader of the Congress who joined the BJP. Earlier, former chief minister Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar, among other leaders, had joined the BJP.
Five-time MLA Badal was the finance minister in the previous Congress government.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljeet Singh Cheema also took a dig at the Congress following the resignation of Badal, saying with the speed, Congress leaders are joining the BJP, the saffron party should reserve some seats for its “original BJP leaders.” “Keeping in view the rapid joining of Congress leaders in the Punjab BJP unit, I humbly appeal to the BJP high command to reserve at least 3 Lok Sabha & 23 Vidhan Sabha seats for original BJP leaders who have been working hard for the party since decades,” said Cheema in a tweet.
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