Manpreet Badal quits Congress, joins BJP

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, January 18

Former state finance minister Manpreet Badal joined the BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, owing to differences with the current state party leaders, he announced his resignation from the Congress on his Twitter handle.

Nephew of SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet started his political career in 1995 by winning the Gidderbaha by-election.

In almost three-decade-long political career, it is the fourth party Manpreet has joined. He had differences with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.

In the resignation letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi, he said that seven years ago, he merged the People's Party of Punjab with the Congress. He said, "I did so with immense hope, and an expectation of being integrated into an organisation with a rich history, that would allow me to serve both the people of Punjab and its interests to the best of my ability. Initial enthusiasm gradually gave way to disillusionment."

In the letter, he also recounted the efforts he had made to “bring Punjab out of the financial mess” but said that far from being acknowledged for his efforts, he was vilified in the Punjab Congress for failing to display “what can only be described as fiscal recklessness”.

"I do not see the point in elaborating extensively on all the proceedings that led to my ultimate and irrevocable disaffection. Suffice it to say that the manner in which the Congress party has conducted its affairs and taken decisions, especially with regard to Punjab, has been disheartening, to say the least," he added.

Manpreet said the coterie of men entrusted with the authority to dictate Delhi’s writ to the Punjab unit of the Congress is far from sound. Instead of striving to reduce internal disagreement in an already-divided house, these men acted to further increase factionalism, and strengthened the worst elements in the party, he added.