Punjab: Former minister Manpreet Singh Badal quits Congress, joins BJP

Slamming the state unit leaders, Badal 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 almost as a matter of policy strengthened the very worst elements within the party.”

“…given the prevalent culture within the party and the defiant desire to persist in the present course, I no longer wish to be a part of the Indian National Congress,” Badal said.

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— Manpreet Singh Badal (@MSBADAL) January 18, 2023

Earlier, his absence from the Punjab leg Bharat Jodo Yatra had raised eyebrows. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had said, “I am hurt that Manpreet Badal has not joined the yatra. He may have differences with any party leader, but that should not prevent him from joining the yatra which is being undertaken by Rahul Gandhi. I am really disappointed. Even, though I have had differences with certain leaders. But when it came to national leaders’ functions, I always put that behind me and participated in such functions.”

Manpreet Badal has had run-ins with the Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. In the run-up to February 20 polls, Warring had given a call to defeat all Badals, including the Congress nominee from Bathinda, Manpreet Badal.