AAP’s Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia joins Congress party

Chandigarh, April 25

The Congress got a boost in Bathinda parliamentary constituency on Thursday with sitting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia joining the party.

The 56-year engineering graduate from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College had won the 2017 Assembly election from Mansa, polling about 40% votes.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said his joining would further strengthen the Congress, which was riding a wave of a strong public mood in its favour.

Welcoming him on board, the CM said like-minded people from other parties who had the interest of the state at heart were joining the Congress in Punjab in large numbers. It was a clear sign of a complete disillusionment with the AAP, which had lost its locus standi amid a party-wide rebellion, he added.

Manshahia, who had taken premature retirement from Punjab Pollution Control Board in 2015 after serving as senior environmental engineer in the department, said he wanted to serve the people of Punjab, which he felt the Congress was best equipped to do. The AAP had lost the narrative in Punjab, with no positive agenda or ideology to guide it, he added.

A first-time MLA, Manshahia was Member of House Committee and Committee on Farmer Suicides and Farm Labourers of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2017-18). He is currently Member of Committee on Government Assurances  of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2018-19).