Jolt to Khattar and BJP: Former MLA and CPS Bakshish Singh Virk desert saffron party to join Congress with others

CHANDIGARH: In a major setback to the BJP and the Karnal team of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former CPS and ex-MLA from Assandh, Bakshish Singh Virk, along with hundreds of supporters, joined the Congress on Tuesday in New Delhi.

Virk was a strong contender for a BJP ticket from Assandh and Karnal. However, as the BJP picked another candidate, he distanced himself from the party. Virk was also a core team member of the Karnal parliamentary constituency.

Virk, accompanied by sarpanches, councillors, BJP office bearers from various district unit cells, and chairpersons of elected bodies, took the primary membership of the Congress in the presence of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state president Udai Bhan.

Hooda and Bhan welcomed them into the Congress fold, assuring full respect and responsibilities based on their calibre and seniority.

Hooda said that Bakshish Singh Virk's entry into the Congress would provide a significant boost, not just in Assandh but across many assembly constituencies in Haryana.

Meanwhile, Hooda targeted the BJP, HLP, and INLD over their silent and unannounced alliance in the Sirsa district. He stated that the INLD, JJP, and HLP are the B-team of the BJP, and their alliance in Sirsa is already public knowledge.

“All of Congress's rival parties are assisting each other. These parties have distributed tickets accordingly and are now staging the drama of withdrawing nominations. However, no matter how many conspiracies the BJP and its allies devise, the 36 communities of the state have made up their minds to bring Congress to power with a massive majority,” said Hooda.

Udai Bhan joined Hooda, elaborating on future election plans. He announced that significant rallies featuring Congress’s senior leaders would soon be held in the state, with a clear mandate in favor of the party expected by October 8.

Hooda reiterated the Congress's commitment to providing a Rs 6,000 monthly pension for senior citizens and creating one lakh permanent jobs for unemployed youth in Haryana after coming to power.

Udai Bhan further highlighted that more than 50 MLAs, former MLAs, MPs, and ex-MPs from the BJP and other parties have joined Congress. Observing their impending defeat in Haryana, BJP leaders are now showing signs of panic. Despite being in power for ten years, they have failed to list any notable achievements, resorting instead to religious and caste-based politics. He added that the BJP's approach has always been to "divide and rule," while Congress has consistently worked to unite society.