With General Elections knocking at the door, BJP played a smart move by inducting Preneet Kaur, suspended Congress MP and wife of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh into the party on Thursday.
Continuing to strengthen its ranks weeks before the Lok Sabha polls, Ms. Kaur is the MP from Patiala and is likely to contest from the seat on a BJP ticket this time.
In 2021, after stepping down from the position as Chief Minister, Mr. Singh formed the Punjab Lok Congress and then merged it with the BJP the following year. Last year in February, Ms. Kaur was suspended from the Congress for ” anti-party activities” that were helping the BJP.
Joining the BJP on Thursday in the presence of National General Secretaries Vinod Tawde and Tarun Chugh and the party’s Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar, who was also in the Congress earlier, Ms. Kaur praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his contribution to the country’s development.
Ms. Preneet says,” I am happy that I am joining the BJP today. In the past 25 years, I have worked in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly. The time has come when everyone should come together and take the work of the PM Modi and his policies forward”.
Mr Tawde said that the including leaders like Preenet Kaur will only make the party more stronger in the Punjab. “Preneet Kaur ji is a parliamentarian who has proved her potential by working on many committees. When such people come to BJP, especially in Punjab where public opinion is being formed against the state government, it makes us strong. BJP is emerging in the mind of the common Punjabi. The development of Punjab, as desired by PM Modi, will become stronger with Preneet Kaur ji,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“I don’t want to go in the past”, says Preneet Kaur
When Ms. Kaur was questioned as why she had to quit the Congress and join hands with BJP, she said, ” I don’t want to go into past. I had a good innings with the Congress party and I hope I have a better innings with the BJP.” Ms. Kaur’s exit will definitely prove to be a setback for the Congress, which had won eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in 2019, but faces a challenge from I.N.D.I.A. ally AAP-which is now in power in the state as well as the BJP.”
Ms. Kaur has won the Patiala seat four times, including in 2019 and also been held by Amarinder Singh in the past. She also had been in public life for over 25 years and served the Indian democracy as both MP and MLA.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, president of the Congress Punjab unit, had sent a complaint to the part high command, accusing Kaur of indulging in anti-party activities to help a rival party i.e. BJP.
Ms. Preneet Kaur expressed her happiness over joining BJP. Addressing a joint press conference with BJP leaders at the party headquarters. She also thanked Prime Minister Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda and the “entire BJP family” for giving her an opportunity to work with the party. Impressed with Modi’s leadership from last 10 years , Kaur expressed her wish to join BJP.
“I am fully convinced that our children’s future and our country will remain secure under his (Modi’s) leadership and policies,” she told reporters.
Ms. Preneet Kaur also said that she believes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives such as ‘Viksit Bharat’ are shaping India’s future and ensuring its security and advancement. She added that the time has come when all should come together for the progress of the country.
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