Upset over ticket denial, Dhuri Congress ex-MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy dons AAP cap

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 1

With a view to fortifying the Sangrur seat, the Aam Aadmi Party today inducted former Dhuri Congress MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy into the party fold. Goldy had been upset with the Congress over the denial of party ticket to him or his wife for the Sangrur Lok Sabha poll.

Though Goldy, who was inducted into the party by Chief Minister and AAP Punjab president Bhagwant Mann, insisted that he was joining AAP as he saw no future for himself in the Congress, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Congress candidate from Sangrur, alleged that Goldy had joined AAP in duress after the Vigilance Bureau had started investigating cases related to misappropriation of funds for construction of gyms during the previous Congress rule in Punjab.

This allegation has been outrightly denied by CM Mann. “Why will AAP accept a person involved in corruption? Our stand on wiping out corruption is very clear. If we take on our own persons involved in corruption, why will we spare others? Moreover, we are not the BJP that use government agencies to settle scores with political opponents,” he said, rubbishing Khaira’s accusations. Goldy, too, challenged Khaira, saying he would confront the Congress leader publicly in Sangrur on Thursday.

Mann also referred to Goldy as his younger brother and a hardworking youth. “Our party encourages the youth participation in politics, unlike the Congress that believes in sending parachute candidates to contest poll. We value hard work and they ignore it to favour established political families. Goldy did not leave the Congress, but he was forced to leave,” said the CM.

Incidentally, Goldy had contested the Assembly elections against Mann in 2022, which he lost. Even in the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, where Goldy was the Congress candidate, he managed to get 11.21 per cent vote.

Since the Aam Aadmi Party has made it a prestige issue to win this seat in the Lok Sabha poll, Goldy’s shifting loyalty to AAP will give a definite boost to the campaign of AAP candidate and state Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer at a time when he faces a stiff competition from Congress candidate Sukhpal Khaira and the sitting MP Simranjit Singh Mann, who is defending his seat.

Fourth Cong leader to join AAP

• Political observers are amused at the fact that both AAP and Congress are allies in the INDIA bloc, but they continue to poach each other’s leaders.
• While AAP has fielded former Congress leaders Gurpreet Singh GP and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, ex-Congress MLA Sushil Rinku had won Jalandhar bypoll on AAP ticket. Goldy becomes the fourth Congress leader to join AAP