Chandigarh, (Aditi) : Congress got a major shot in the arm on Sunday as a total of 56 leaders, including 3 former MLAs, joined the Congress on Sunday, leaving BJP, JJP, INLD and Aam Aadmi Party. All these leaders joined the Congress in the presence of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chaudhary Udaybhan and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda at the Congress Bhavan in Chandigarh.
These leaders expressed faith in the policies of the Congress and in the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Chaudhary Udaybhan. Former MLA and Sonepat JJP President Padam Singh Dahiya, former MLA, Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Bijendra Kadian alias Billu and former MLA and JJP leader Mularam Gurjar were the three MLAs who joined the Congress.
Those who joined the party included retired session judge Rakesh Yadav, JJP State Vice President Lalit Bansal, Sanjeev Buana (BJP Candidate 2014, Julana), Dr Kapoor Singh (Convenor, North Zone, SC Cell, AAP), Kartar Singh Saini (Former Member, Haryana Staff Selection Commission), Arvind Sharma (Former District President, BJP Yuva Morcha, Hisar), Balbir Singh Pahal (State Vice President, Sports Cell, JJP), Charan Singh (INLD District President, Yamunanagar), Dilbagh Sandil (State Vice President, BJP Kisan Morcha), Manju Chowdhary (Women State General Secretary, JJP), BJP leader Kamlesh Saini (Former Chairman, Market Committee, Ateli), Abhay Singh Chowdhary (Youth District President, JJP, Mahendragarh), Rajkumar Yadav (Former District Councillor).
Others included Vishal Pratap Saini (Former State Office Secretary, BJP Yuva Morcha), Wazir Singh Majra (Former District President, BJP) Kisan Morcha), Vinod Titoria (Former MC, Karnal), Karnail Singh (District Secretary, Sports Koshtha, JJP), Harpal Singh Budhaniyan, Abhay Ram Sandil, Bajir Singh, former Sarpanch (Chabri), Ramesh Sharma (President Brahmin Sabha, Jind), Sadhu Singh (Former AGM, Bank of Baroda), Ashish Malik (Divisional Vice President, Julana) ), Balwan Singh (former Sarpanch, Sirsakhedi), Krishna Sarpanch (Chabri), Satbir Singh (R. Head Draftsman), Karmbir Singh (Retd. District Registrar, Panchkula), Raj Kapoor Ahlawat (Chairman, Haryana State Federation, Guru Ravidas and Dr. Ambedkar Sabha), Shravan Kumar (Former Speaker, Lok Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party), Chandra Bhan (Former General Secretary, AAP ), Sunil Sharma (Chairman, Panchayat Samiti, Shahzadpur), Mahendra Singh Rathi (Retd. Superintendent, PWD B&R), Manful Chand (Retd. Superintendent, Health Department, Haryana), Rajendra Mahera (Retd. Superintendent, ITI) Joined Congress with hundreds of its workers.
Leaders who have joined the party say that the people of the state are fed up with the misdeeds of BJP-JJP and this has led to a stampede in the ruling coalition. The situation is such that by the time the state gets to the Vidhan Sabha election, there will be no ticket taker left in BJP-JJP and other parties as the people of the state have already made up their mind to vote for the Congress.
On this occasion, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chaudhary Udaybhan and MP Deepender welcomed all the leaders to the party. Chaudhary Udaybhan said that the political climate of the state has changed. “The wind blowing in favour of the Congress has now taken the form of a storm, by the time the elections come, it will turn into a typhoon,” he said.