National Regional

Former Punjab MLA Arvind Khanna, others join BJP; Channi’s cousin also joins

Former Punjab MLA Arvind Khanna and several other politicians from the state joined the BJP on Tuesday as the party asserted that it will write a new chapter in the region’s electoral history with its success.

Khanna, a businessman and two term former MLA, had not been much active politically after quitting the Congress some years back.Kanwarveer Singh Tohra, grandson of former SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Gurdeep Singh Gosha, who was with the Akali Dal, and Dharamveer Sareen joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Hardeep Singh Puri.Welcoming them, Shekhawat, who is the BJP’s in-charge for the Punjab assembly polls slated for February 14, said their presence will boost the BJP.

Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal, cousin brother of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi joins BJP in Chandigarh.arlierin the day, 13 MLAs from various parties joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. As the state elections come close, a lot of political jiggling is taking place from one party to another.

The party will write a new chapter in the state’s electoral history, he asserted.The BJP has joined hands with former chief minister Amarinder Singh and the Akali faction headed by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to fight the polls.Shekhawat also alleged that its rivals using the state machinery foiled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed rally in the state last week.It would have been the state’s biggest rally, he claimed.

Modi had to cut short his visit following a breach in his security, triggering a political slugfest with the BJP accusing the Congress of conspiring to physically harm him.The Congress, which is in power in the state, has rejected the allegations.