Ghuggi may join Congress ranks

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25

The Punjab Congress is trying to rope in former state convener of Aam Aadmi Party and film personality Gurpreet Singh Waraich (Ghuggi), it is learnt.

Getting the actor-politician on board will give a boost to the campaign of state party president Sunil Jakhar, who is contesting the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection.

Sources said parleys are on and Ghuggi is likely join the party soon, though Ghuggi could not be reached for comments.

Other than Ghuggi, who had resigned from AAP in protest against his unceremonious removal from the post of state convener after the Assembly elections, another AAP leader, Kanwalpreet Singh, has also resigned today. He is learnt to be cosying up to the SAD-BJP combine. He had unsuccessfully contested from Qadian.

The two leaders joining rival parties may not augur well for the AAP candidate in the Gurdaspur byelection, Suresh Kumar Khajuria. As it is, Majha region has not been AAP’s stronghold. The party could not win a single seat in Majha during the Assembly polls.

Ghuggi had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election from Batala. He was reportedly not taken into confidence when AAP replaced him with Bhagwant Mann. Feeling slighted, Ghuggi had resigned. Since then, he had meetings with minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, giving rise to speculation of his joining the Congress. Sources say Ghuggi held a series of meetings with senior Congress leaders and poll strategists.