Jolt to BJP as former minister Karan Dev Kamboj, Pundri ex-MLA Tejvir Singh join Congress

Former BJP minister Karan Dev Kamboj joined the Congress in New Delhi today in the presence of state party president Udai Bhan and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Both leaders welcomed Kamboj into the party, assuring him of full respect and responsibility.

“I have joined the Congress and will work for the party’s candidates wherever my duties are assigned,” Kamboj said during the event.

Kamboj, who had been upset after being denied ticket from both Radaur and Indri constituencies, had on Thursday extended his support to Congress candidate Rakesh Kamboj from Indri. He pledged to work towards defeating BJP candidates in both Indri and Radaur.

Kamboj had sought a ticket from either Indri or Radaur. However, the party decided to field former MLA Shyam Singh Rana from Radaur and sitting MLA Ram Kumar Kashyap from Indri, which left Kamboj in the lurch. He alleged that Rana had quit the BJP during the 2019 Assembly elections and had only rejoined recently after spending nearly five years with the INLD.

Meanwhile, former MLA from Pundri Tejvir Singh switched over to the Congress in the presence of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Tejvir Singh, who carries the political legacy of his father Chaudhary Ishwar Singh, was elected as an MLA from Pundri in 2000 following the denial of ticket from the Congress. He contested as an Independent candidate and won.

Ishwar Singh, was a prominent political figure, having served as the MLA from Pundri four times — once as an Independent in 1968, and thrice on the Congress ticket in 1972, 1982, and 1991. After winning the Pundri seat in 2000, Tejvir Singh rejoined the Congress in 2004 and stayed with the party until 2014. However, he shifted his allegiance to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) for the 2014 Assembly elections, where he contested but lost. Tejvir rejoined the Congress in 2015 before eventually joining the BJP ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections under the leadership of the then CM, Manohar Lal Khattar.

“I was hopeful about getting a ticket, but it was given to a newcomer. The BJP has betrayed me and my supporters. We have worked hard on the ground, but the party has not recognised our efforts and denied us the ticket,” he said.