31 sarpanches join AAP, blow to Congress

Amritsar, August 27

A group of 31 sitting and five former sarpanches and a large number of block samiti members, led by Kashmir Singh, chairman, Market Committee, Chaugawan, which falls under the Rajasansi constituency, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) here on Saturday.

It is a major blow to the Congress in the border belt as a majority of whom joined the AAP are grassroots leaders of the grand-old party.

They were formally inducted into the AAP by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal during a simple ceremony held here today. Dhaliwal said, “A large number of people impressed by the pro-people activities of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan are joining the AAP.”

Dhaliwal further said, “Our party has its own system wherein corruption is not tolerated at all. The only condition for joining the AAP is to reject corruption from the beginning.”

His government would continue to punish those, who were behind the blasphemy incidents, Dhaliwal added. For this purpose, the special investigation team (SIT) was formed, which would now look into such incidents, said Dhaliwal. He said his party was fulfilling promises made during the elections.