3 SAD councillors join Congress

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 17

In a major jolt to SAD, its three sitting councillors joined the Congress in the presence of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal.

Four councillors had resigned from SAD a few days ago, annoyed over the taking Congress leader Iqbal Singh Dhillon into SAD.

Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited the house of one of the upset councillors, Nirmal Singh Sandhu, and succeeded in pacifying him.

The three councillors who have joined the Congress are — Master Harmandar Singh, Baljit Singh Raju Sra and Rajinder Sidhu.

Along with them, the general secretary of the Punjab Truck Union and senior SAD leader Tehal Singh Buttar, Gurdeep Bhatti (president, circle thermal SAD, SC wing) also joined the Congress.

The councilors accused the Badal family of running party affairs by appointing outsiders as their political bosses in Bathinda and declared that their joining the Congress was in the larger public interest.

They said there was no room for them in the party and the workers were left on the mercy of outsiders in SAD.

Addressing a gathering at Subash Market, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal termed the move of joining the Congress by SAD councillors and workers as a victory of the common man.

He said workers were expressing their anger over the sorry state of affairs in SAD. He welcomed the newly inducted leaders into the Congress and said they would be given respect in the party.

Among others who were also present on the occasion were Congress (Urban) president Arun Wadhawan, Ashok Pardhan, Jeet Mal, Jaijeet Jauhal, Jagroop Gill, Mohan Lal Jhumba, Tehal Sandhu and KK Aggarwal.

Black flags shown to Manpreet

Congress leaders had to face embarrassment as well as members of the Linemen Union reached the rally venue with black flags in their hands and staged protest by raising slogans against Manpreet Badal and state government for not fulfilling their demands of regularization of jobs.

Former CM succeeds in pacifying one

• Four councillors had resigned from SAD a few days ago, annoyed over inducting Congress leader Iqbal Singh Dhillon into SAD. 
• Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited the house of  e of the upset councillors, Nirmal Singh Sandhu, and succeeded in pacifying him.
• The three councillors who have joined the Congress are — Master Harmandar Singh, Baljit Singh Raju Sra and Rajinder Sidhu.
• Along with them, the general secretary of the Punjab Truck Union and senior SAD leader Tehal Singh Buttar, Gurdeep Bhatti (president, circle thermal SAD, SC wing) also joined the Congress.

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