Manpreet Badal joins Congress ahead of Punjab polls

Manpreet Singh Badal, an estranged nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday merged his People’s Party of Punjab with the Congress to unitedly take on SAD-BJP in the assembly polls in the state early next year.

Announcing the induction of Manpreet Badal to the Congress party during a press conference in New Delhi, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Punjab Congress affairs, Shakeel Ahmed, said, “We are happy that PPP under Manpreet Singh Badal has today merged with Congress”.

A formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made soon, they added. “The AAP has nothing to do with the Congress and going by Thursday’s rally response, one can measure the strength of the party in Punjab”, said Ashish Talwar, political advisor to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

For latest news on mobile and tablet, download IndiaTV Android app and iOS app. Manpreet said that talks regarding merger of parties had been in the works for some months now.

Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal reportedly welcomed the idea of the Congress-PPP merger. Manpreet Badal contested two seats but lost both.

Taking a dig at Congress, S. Sukhbir Badal said that the balloon of the party had burst and elevation of Captain Amarinder Singh to the post of PPCC chief won’t make a difference as the congress is nowhere in the picture.

Talking about the development today, he said that Congress is “the right platform” for PPP’s agenda, which is the growth of Punjab. We are starting our campaign on a good note.

Though many political observers feel, that the Punjab contest will eliminate the third element and in this case it could be the ruling SAD-BJP combine, rendering it to be a fight between Congress and AAP, BJP is hoping that it turns out to be a three-way contest. He tried to strike an alliance with AAP during the last Lok Sabha elections but the party refused to ally with anyone. We were treated with a lot of respect.

Addressing the mammoth gathering here on the political conference, the Chief Minister said that on this sacred occasion every Punjabi must vow to bring back the alliance to power so that the ongoing work of state’s development could be accomplished.

“Without any pre-conditions to this alliance, I, and my PPP workers, will not take any position or responsibility in the Congress”, he announced.

He said he met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi thrice and his emphasis was “on agenda of Punjab”. “This agenda is now the Congress agenda”, he said.